L' OMBRE DES FEMMES

 Pierre and Manon are a couple who have worked together on documentary projects for years. She’s still head over heels in love with him, but has noticed that he’s less and less interested. In fact, Pierre has met a young intern who’s become his mistress. By pursuing his affair with Elizabeth while stubbornly staying with Manon, Pierre risks losing everything. In the vein of his earlier films (Les amants réguliers, La jalousie), Philippe Garrel explores complex emotional ties, this time through the lens of a love triangle. With characteristic insight, he delves into the causes and consequences of infidelity. Garrel’s signature aesthetic and references to the great Jean-Luc Godard confirm his place as rightful successor to the French New Wave. Screened as the opening film of the Directors’ Fortnight at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, L’ombre des femmes takes a hard look at the little acts of cowardice that shake a couple’s very foundation, with the melancholy sweetness and timeless quality that serve as the filmmaker’s trademarks.