For me, it was the sunglasses. Those damn sunglasses. The French New Wave never attracted me as much as those glasses, characteristic of the most annoying person you have ever met. And, in that way, characteristics of Jean-luc Godard himself. The glasses, the cigarette, the Godard of it all… say what you want about his films – but the man himself is simply a piece of art.

And for that reason, while rotting in my bed waiting for how low rock bottom could get this time, I spontaneously decided to go see Nouvelle Vague (2025). Ticket, and… done. That afternoon. At the coziest, most expensive theater in town. I even dressed up. Because time and time again it has been proven that, sometimes all it takes to get out of the deepest pit of despair is to just go see a movie.

Though Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague is, of course, not just any movie. It’s one of those infamous ‘movies about making movies’. Now, there are many ways a filmmaker can run with that idea. This film could have been a psycho-analysis of Godard’s mentality and approach to film, a bleak show of how hard it actually is to make a film. It could have turned out a million other ways. Ways that are much deeper. Much funnier. Much more poignant. Much more worthy of analysis.

“I have a crazy idea: watch this bad movie”

Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague is, though, none of those things. While we do get some of those approaches in shades, the film’s central commitment lies elsewhere. Who was Godard? We do get a sense. Is it hard to shoot a movie? We have some ideas. But, at its core, this compact one hour and 46 minutes is – which we should be familiar with now – a Linklater ‘hangout film’.

We are transported back to the beautiful black and white 60’s Paris. Cigarette smoke, intellect, and aspiration filled the air. Then we just… hang out. With these wonderfully full-of-themselves amateurs desperate to prove their vision. Excitement and endless possibilities filled the air. Through all the clashes on the set, the overall vibe of the piece is clear; these are friends hanging out – making what they love. Love, that marvelously mutable yet forever eternal word, love filled the air.

Nouvelle Vague will not have anyone leaving breathless, unless that person is keen to complain about it being a boring borderline documentary that doesn’t say anything at all about anything – and is left breathless by the end of the complaint. Indeed they might be right about all the strings of complaint they could muster. I shall not defend a single one. But I left the theater breathless, still.

I need it. That love in the air; love of the human experience, love of what came before us and around us, love of us, here and now. Love of film! The excitement, the fearlessness, the stupidity, the self-entitlement, the intellect, the shared comradery but also competition… I need them all like air.

A movie about making movies doesn’t have to be great (they are often bad, even) – but they have an advantage. The best of them can make us feel alive. And feeling alive within these historical walls closing in on us every term? Alive is worth a lot.

Godard’s guerrilla style of filmmaking used to shoot Breathless here reminded me of another director I adore; Wim Wenders and his day-by-day approach to filming Wings of Desire (1987). Though not a movie about making movies, the film bears the craft out for us to see in a way that makes my foolish heart go “Hey! Perhaps I could make a movie like this.”

“Alive is worth a lot”

Watching Wings of Desire also saved me from that year’s spicy depression (what I call seasonal depression, since it is so well-seasoned).Though very different, both films made me feel the impossible in the middle of those days where all I wanted to do was to lay down and not exist anymore; they made me feel alive. Alive, because look! Look how lucky we are to be able to create art. Though challenging, grinding, and with little chance of ever succeeding – even just the process of creating is joy.

Nouvelle Vague is not likely going to be a film that people remember. Out of the two Linklater films coming out this year it will be eclipsed by Blue Moon – and, again, for good reason. But, dear friends, I have a crazy idea: watch this bad movie. Because this movie will make you feel like you can stroll down the street of Paris and pick up a camera and yell “motor!” – and the film starts rolling. Because this film will inspire you to do whatever the Cambridge equivalent of that is. Go watch this bad movie that will inspire you so much you will want to go out and create better ones. More daring, more pretentious. More full of itself. Just like how the real Godard did.

Cambridge always teaches us to endlessly research. Research before you even write a single sentence in your essay. Well, dear friends, making films could not be more of the opposite. After all, there would never have been a New Wave if everything came out exactly as planned for Godard and so many others. They experimented on the go. They just hit the ground running before knowing where they were even going. Breathe in that air.

I know, and believe me I know, Cambridge can suck your soul out. But your soul, your passion, your fire, they keep you alive. And alive is worth everything.

Back at home, my brother used to have a poster that said “Life is a Godard film”. But Life, actually, is better than a Godard film; in life, you can just go and MAKE a Godard film!