Non-Fiction (2018)
Doubles vies (original title)
R | 1h 48min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | In Select Theaters May 24th 2019
Language: French w/ English Subtitles
Synopsis: Juliette Binoche and Guillaume Canet reunite with acclaimed director Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper, Carlos) for this wry, slyly seductive tale of sex, lies, and literature. Set amidst the bohemian intelligentsia of the Parisian publishing world, Non-Fiction traces the romantic and emotional fallout that results when a controversial writer (Vincent Macaigne) begins blurring the line between fact and fiction, using his real-life love affairs—including a passionate fling with an actress (Binoche) who happens to be married to his editor (Canet)—as fodder for his explosive new novel. Balancing dry wit with keen observations on the tensions between art, commerce, and technology, Non-Fiction is a buoyant, breezy delight from a master director at his most effortlessly brilliant.
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – 2018 VENICE FILM FESTIVAL**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – 2018 TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – 2018 TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – 2018 NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL**
Review: NON-FICTION was on my must see list this year at the Dallas International Film Festival. It was a lot of fun primarily due to the writing and organic performances. Foreign films are such a breath of fresh air; especially rom-coms. Add the French perspective to love and relationships and you end up with a fabulous think piece that gets you out of your own head.
One of the main characters is a writer and the dialogue between him and his publisher was very intriguing. There were many discussions about the future of books and the evolution of digital media. Bottom line is that people are reading less and less and what they do read is more along the lines of blogs and twitter feeds. Those who still desire a novel forgo the library and book store for a kindle or digital download. So that part of the film was fascinating.
To say I liked all of the marital infidelity sounds odd. It is how the characters handle the situations and the conversations that follow that make it refreshing. Granted all the cheating is wrong but watching how the French approach the subject of love, sex and marriage seems far healthier than what we see in the states. The couples are open and honest about their infidelities and the forgiveness and understand seems to come more natural.
Juliette Binoche is one of those actresses who seems to get better with each movie. You can tell she felt right at home in her native language and culture. Vincent Macaigne steals each scene as a dedicated writer trying to tell his story the best way possible. He is a tad neurotic but not in that Woody Allen way. His is more comfortable in my uncomfortable skin.
If you love foreign films you will enjoy this one immensely. For the right couple it is the solid date night film. Fans of traditional books and journalism will gravitate to the dialogue and long for more. It certainly will drum up post credit discussions. NON-FICTION is rated _ and for mature audiences. Again the French handle this sort of content naturally and nothing ever seems crude or gratuitous. The sex and nudity is very brief and never the focal point of the narrative. It is all perfectly balanced.
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