Philippe Garrel
Les amants règuliers

Many cinematic works unfortunately do not enjoy the success they deserve: this review's subject film is undoubtedly part of this extensive list.

Philippe Garrel, a Parisian director and actor, has more than 20 feature films to his credit of (in my opinion) significant artistic value, particularly the beautiful "Le vent de la nuit," "La naissance de l'amour"; "Les amants réguliers", however, is a small gem in his filmography, certainly at the peak of his career. Presented and awarded the Silver Lion at the 2005 Venice Film Festival, it received very little attention in theaters, perhaps due to the undeniable similarity with the more successful "The Dreamers" by Bertolucci, which was more aimed at the general public.

The film, set in the midst of '68, has as its protagonist Françoise, a twenty-year-old poet and army deserter, who associates with a group of artists living in the house of Antoine, a wealthy young man, discussing art and smoking opium. Here he will meet Lilie, a sculptress involved in politics and working in a factory. The two will begin a romantic relationship.....

What immediately strikes the viewer is undoubtedly the beautiful cinematography (with a black and white of great contrasts not seen for some time) and the atmosphere that recalls, in many parts, the "nouvelle vague", Truffaut and Godard, and French cinema in general. Remarkable also is the soundtrack by Jean Claude Vannier and the cast's performance, among which stands out Louis Garrel, intense and convincing, far from the mediocre acting demonstrated in Bertolucci's film.

Certainly, a limiting factor in the work's accessibility lies in the 178-minute duration which, for a film built entirely on psychological introspection and artistic/political digressions, may seem excessive; in reality, it helps create a sort of atmosphere of detachment and temporal suspension that aids the viewer in concentrating and participating in the evolution of the characters and their stories. A film, therefore, to rediscover, also taking advantage of the recent DVD reissue that, fortunately, left the film without Italian dubbing, a fundamental element for enjoying a work of this kind to the fullest.