Ismael’s Ghosts

Director: Arnaud Desplechin

2018, France, 135, R

Screenwriter: Arnaud Desplechin

Cast: Mathieu Amalric, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Marion Cotillard, Laszlo Szabo, Louis Garrel.

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With a nod to both Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and François Truffaut’s Day for Night, Ismael’s Ghosts is a story of l’amour fou: a French filmmaker (Mathieu Amalric) who is shooting a movie is shocked by the return of his wife Carlotta (Best Actress Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard), who has been missing for 20 years. Not only has it taken the director that long to get over his grief, he is now involved with a new woman – a scientist played by Charlotte Gainsbourg. Adding a touch of hilarity to the chaos, Charlotte’s father (Laszlo Szabo) and the star of the film-within-the-film (Louis Garrel), both have their own feelings and overheated opinions to add to the pot.

“This movie’s nerve endings vibrate most avidly and tenderly in scenes where not a word is spoken. It’s moments like these that make Ismaël’s Ghosts an unforgettable experience.” – Glenn Kenny, New York Times. New York Times Critics Pick