*My capsule review of Non-Fiction was originally published on Film Inquiry as part of my final report from Film Fest 919. Click here to read the original post and check out more great reviews from this awesome site!*
If you enjoy listening to French intellectuals talk about both changes in the publishing industry and their own personal affairs, then writer/director Olivier Assayas' Non-Fiction will probably be a little slice of heaven. While I was concerned that I would quickly grow tired of watching people hang out and talk, I left the theater elated. Assayas has taken a series of funny, enlightening discussions and spun them into something that feels significantly more substantial, a survey of trivial interactions in the midst of unparalleled cultural change. It sounds like a downer, but it's actually the most delightful film I saw at Film Fest 919.
Guillaume Canet stars as Alain, a prominent publisher in modern Paris. Alain is both beloved and attacked for his ability to react to the cultural zeitgeist, but even the savvy businessman has a hard time accepting the rapid changes of the era. At the start of the film, Alain is meeting with Léonard (Vincent Macaigne), a popular author with an impulsive tendency to write autobiographical accounts of his sexual affairs, to discuss another book. Despite the writer's enthusiasm for his new material, he's rejected by his longtime publisher - the book is just too scandalous this time.
Later, we're introduced to Selena (Juliette Binoche), a popular TV star and Alain's wife, who suspects that her husband is having an affair. She doesn't seem particularly upset by this, but she feels it's true all the same. Alain is indeed spending time with Laure (Christa Théret), the new head of digital transition at his publication. But Selena is also having an affair - with Léonard. Did I mention that the author is already in a long-term relationship with Valérie (Nora Hamzawi), a powerful political operative? The cultural world is evolving at an uncontrollable rate, but for everyone in Non-Fiction, it might just be background noise for more pressing concerns.
Assayas' latest is basically a low-key hangout movie, rooted firmly in those aforementioned personal and social conversations. Despite its larger scope as a reflection on possibly cataclysmic issues, Assayas' dialogue has a wonderfully light touch, building running jokes and developing a closer relationship between the viewer and these individuals with each passing scene. Even with a minimal amount of plot to sustain it, the film builds impressive comic and thematic momentum. By the final act, each new quip or witty remark lands like a knockout punch.
The characters are tremendously endearing as well, partially thanks to their seemingly endless array of flaws. Léonard betrays the trust of every romantic partner he's ever had and Alain and Selena barely pay attention to their child, but you'll come to love them anyways. Canet and Binoche's easy-going rapport gives the film this infectiously loose, improvisational energy, while Macaigne makes his struggling author the amusing embodiment of chaotic evil (in a good way). From the most philosophical of discussions to the mundane encounters, it's just all so compulsively watchable.
But when push comes to shove, Assayas' larger template proves to be instrumental in elevating Non-Fiction from a solid piece of arthouse fun to a more significant work. In the film's world, nothing is stable. Blogs are more popular than published works. Compilations are published with increasing frequency. E-books seem like the way of the future. Even Alain's boss is contemplating selling off his assets and moving on from the company.
Non-Fiction takes place during the final days of a world on the cusp of a rebirth. Publishing is just one small industry, but it's emblematic of something bigger. Alain, Selena, and Léonard are all keenly aware of this, especially the astute publisher. Still, these tectonic shifts aren't the end of the universe, and they certainly won't keep anyone from having an affair or two. Personal and global matters are in constant conflict here, an idea that's all too familiar in 2018. And for his ultimate trick, Assayas makes the micro troubles just as compelling as this industry's macro concerns.
THE FINAL GRADE: A (9.4/10)
If you enjoy listening to French intellectuals talk about both changes in the publishing industry and their own personal affairs, then writer/director Olivier Assayas' Non-Fiction will probably be a little slice of heaven. While I was concerned that I would quickly grow tired of watching people hang out and talk, I left the theater elated. Assayas has taken a series of funny, enlightening discussions and spun them into something that feels significantly more substantial, a survey of trivial interactions in the midst of unparalleled cultural change. It sounds like a downer, but it's actually the most delightful film I saw at Film Fest 919.
Guillaume Canet stars as Alain, a prominent publisher in modern Paris. Alain is both beloved and attacked for his ability to react to the cultural zeitgeist, but even the savvy businessman has a hard time accepting the rapid changes of the era. At the start of the film, Alain is meeting with Léonard (Vincent Macaigne), a popular author with an impulsive tendency to write autobiographical accounts of his sexual affairs, to discuss another book. Despite the writer's enthusiasm for his new material, he's rejected by his longtime publisher - the book is just too scandalous this time.
Later, we're introduced to Selena (Juliette Binoche), a popular TV star and Alain's wife, who suspects that her husband is having an affair. She doesn't seem particularly upset by this, but she feels it's true all the same. Alain is indeed spending time with Laure (Christa Théret), the new head of digital transition at his publication. But Selena is also having an affair - with Léonard. Did I mention that the author is already in a long-term relationship with Valérie (Nora Hamzawi), a powerful political operative? The cultural world is evolving at an uncontrollable rate, but for everyone in Non-Fiction, it might just be background noise for more pressing concerns.
Assayas' latest is basically a low-key hangout movie, rooted firmly in those aforementioned personal and social conversations. Despite its larger scope as a reflection on possibly cataclysmic issues, Assayas' dialogue has a wonderfully light touch, building running jokes and developing a closer relationship between the viewer and these individuals with each passing scene. Even with a minimal amount of plot to sustain it, the film builds impressive comic and thematic momentum. By the final act, each new quip or witty remark lands like a knockout punch.
The characters are tremendously endearing as well, partially thanks to their seemingly endless array of flaws. Léonard betrays the trust of every romantic partner he's ever had and Alain and Selena barely pay attention to their child, but you'll come to love them anyways. Canet and Binoche's easy-going rapport gives the film this infectiously loose, improvisational energy, while Macaigne makes his struggling author the amusing embodiment of chaotic evil (in a good way). From the most philosophical of discussions to the mundane encounters, it's just all so compulsively watchable.
But when push comes to shove, Assayas' larger template proves to be instrumental in elevating Non-Fiction from a solid piece of arthouse fun to a more significant work. In the film's world, nothing is stable. Blogs are more popular than published works. Compilations are published with increasing frequency. E-books seem like the way of the future. Even Alain's boss is contemplating selling off his assets and moving on from the company.
Non-Fiction takes place during the final days of a world on the cusp of a rebirth. Publishing is just one small industry, but it's emblematic of something bigger. Alain, Selena, and Léonard are all keenly aware of this, especially the astute publisher. Still, these tectonic shifts aren't the end of the universe, and they certainly won't keep anyone from having an affair or two. Personal and global matters are in constant conflict here, an idea that's all too familiar in 2018. And for his ultimate trick, Assayas makes the micro troubles just as compelling as this industry's macro concerns.
THE FINAL GRADE: A (9.4/10)
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