The Innocent

2022 1h 39m FR

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 382

ComedyCrimeRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Sylvie, a nearly sixty-year-old woman, has fallen in love with Michel, a thug she marries in prison. The couple dream of starting again with a clean slate by opening a flower shop. But Sylvie’s son Abel, convinced that Michel will fall into a life of crime, disapproves of this relationship.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Louis Garrel
Abel Lefranc
Roschdy Zem
Michel Ferrand
Noémie Merlant
Clémence Genièvre
Anouk Grinberg
Sylvie Lefranc
Jean-Claude Pautot
Jean-Paul
Yanisse Kebbab
Caviar truck driver
Léa Wiazemsky
Sylvie's witness
Manda Touré
Woman at the aquarium

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Louis Garrel
Writers: Louis Garrel, Tanguy Viel, Naïla Guiguet
Languages: English, French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 4 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Louis Garrel, shot by Julien Poupard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Grégoire Hetzel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Pierre Deschamps shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Louis Garrel and Roschdy Zem and Noémie Merlant carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt19841734 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Louis Garrel directs. Julien Poupard behind the camera. Grégoire Hetzel scores. Pierre Deschamps cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in France. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $4.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Released 4 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
4Directed by Louis Garrel, shot by Julien Poupard. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Grégoire Hetzel. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Pierre Deschamps shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Louis Garrel and Roschdy Zem and Noémie Merlant carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt19841734 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Julien Poupard
Original score: Grégoire Hetzel
Editing: Pierre Deschamps
Production design: Jean Rabasse
Costume design: Corinne Bruand
Makeup / hair: Mylène Chiarisoli
Sound: Olivier Guillaume
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $4,000,000
Box office: $5,175,806
Return: 129% of budget
Original language: FR
IMDB: The Innocent (2022)

Also by

Louis Garrel

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-10-20
★ 6/10
I like Louis Garrel - he has something about him that I usually find engaging to watch on screen. Here, though, the story is all just a little too far-fetched! He ("Abel") takes his mother "Sylvie" (Anouk Grinberg) to prison where she runs an acting class and where she has hooked up with "Michel" (Roschdy Zem). Now "Abel" is a bit sceptical about his mother marrying an ex-con and soon he and his best mate "Clémence" (Noémie Merlant) and carrying out some fairly clumsy surveillance on the man. "Michel" is no fool though and before we know it, the spying pair are mixed up a plan to pinch a great supply of caviar from a van in a petrol station car park! What ensues here does raise the odd smile and is generally an adequate little drama - but it still tends a little too much to weak slapstick inso far as it's a comedy. It's also a love story and a family drama that is better than soap, but only just - it's like we are watching an incomplete episode in the lives of people that we don't really know - nor get to know, either. Merlant is a breath of fresh air and she gels well with her increasingly hapless pal "Abel" as we head to a denouement with a few twists to keep us guessing. I did quite enjoy it, but it's totally forgettable fayre, sorry.

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