L'ombre des femmes 2015

Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: Filmed in widescreen black-and-white that makes Paris look both decrepit and irresistible, this is a swift tale of what men and women want versus what they settle for. Read more

Scott Foundas, Variety: Veteran post-Nouvelle Vague helmer Philippe Garrel serves up an exquisite three-hander about life, art and the delusional male ego. Read more

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, AV Club: Perhaps, having made so many movies that feel like ghost stories, Garrel deserves to take it easy for once. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Garrel uses a panoramic frame to stress the characters' closeness (or lack thereof), and the players waltz through his simple, neatly structured script. Read more

Boyd van Hoeij, Hollywood Reporter: Initially somewhat wispy-feeling, this 72-minute feature transforms in its final reel from an ironic divertissement to a work of considerable feeling and intensity. Read more

Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: Is marital fidelity possible when you're bohemian, French and a character in a Philippe Garrel movie? Offering further evidence to the contrary is the director's latest broody musing on life, art and l'amour. Read more

Richard Brody, New Yorker: In the high-contrast, black-and-white, wide-screen images, Garrel captures creative and erotic passions with a spontaneous classicism and a monumental poise. Read more

Mark Jenkins, NPR: What distinguishes In the Shadow of Women are its naturalistic performances - especially Courau's - and its elegantly composed shots and offhand rhythm. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: Mr. Garrel is always worth attending to when he takes up the rhythms and paradoxes of love, and even though this is a minor entry in his canon of melancholy romances, it is brief, brisk and intermittently affecting. Read more

Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com: Garrel may not be saying anything new about the capricious whims of the heart, but he does so with a purity of narrative and tone, and with thoroughly convincing performances from his stars. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: "In the Shadow of Women" will appeal to a passionate, but limited, audience. I happen to be in that audience ... Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: The sturdy elements of '60s-era French romantic drama -- crummy (yet charming) apartments, horrible breakup scenes and a relaxed sense of time -- come together in this beautifully realized black-and-white throwback. Read more

Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: In so shrewdly exploring the illusions - namely (self-) deception - required to keep a dyad functioning, Garrel shows just how much we all remain, consciously or not, in the dark. Read more

Sam Weisberg, Village Voice: Merhar saves In the Shadow of Women with the simplest of gestures: a smile. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: My only question is why the filmmakers chose to deliver their message so prosaically-so diagnostically-instead of trusting their audience to understand the nuances of the drama. Read more