A Faithful Man

It's a case of like father like son as Louis Garrel's sophomore feature (after 2015's Two Friends) recalls the meticulous miniatures directed by his father, Philippe. Co-scripted by the 87-year-old Jean-Claude Carrière, the film feels a touch narcissistic as Parisian journalist Abel (played by Garrel) attempts to reconnect with the girlfriend who cuckolded him a decade earlier (Laetitia Casta), a gambit that is threatened by her possessive son (Joseph Engel). Also getting in the way is the sister (Lily-Rose Depp) of Abel's recently deceased rival, who has adored him since she was a girl and has no intention of letting him get away. So far so contrived. But Garrel and Carrière impart two twists that shift the perspective away from the conflicted protagonist and on to Depp and Casta, who prove to be anything but the passive pawns in a chauvinist fantasy. With its skittish structure and dependence on voiceovers, A Faithful Man can feel arch and old-fashioned, but it's deftly played and bathed in an enveloping glow by cinematographer Irina Lubtchansky.