Director Emmanuel Laurent's Two in the Wave focuses on a pair of the best known contributors to French New Wave cinema: upper-class Jean-Luc Godard and working-class François Truffaut, who met in 1949 and went on to become friends, competitors, and (briefly) collaborators. Written and narrated by critic Antoine de Baecque, the documentary starts with a look at Truffaut's semi-autobiographical 400 Blows (1959), starring a 14-year-old Jean Pierre Léaud, which ushered in a new era in French filmmaking. Godard followed with the acclaimed Breathless (1960). Proceeding through the ups and downs of their careers—aided by clips from their filmographies and those of their influences, such as Ingmar Bergman—the film concludes with the dissolution of their relationship in the early-1970s as Godard continued to move leftward, both politically and artistically, while Truffaut embraced the mainstream he had once rejected. Highlights include images of Truffaut and Léaud at the Cannes Film Festival and an interview between Godard and Fritz Lang, who would appear in Godard's Contempt (1963). Although the filmmakers didn't talk with the reclusive and curmudgeonly Godard, who has outlived his former friend by almost 30 years, Léaud shares his thoughts in archival interviews about working with both men. Aside from a present-day framing device that serves no significant purpose (actor/director Isild Le Besco sorts through clippings about the subjects and explores their old stomping grounds), Two in the Wave is an engaging documentary that will appeal to cinephiles. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Two in the Wave
(2010) 92 min. In French w/English subtitles. DVD: $29.99 ($149 w/PPR). Kino Lorber Edu. Volume 26, Issue 2
Two in the Wave
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