In a quietly romantic scene, Gilles and Laure walk through the forest and it’s endlessly illuminated by candles (the movie had already lost me, so I couldn’t help but wonder who lit them all). His camera has the same attention to detail as it did in his two previous films, Summer Hours and the miniseries Carlos. That is not to say, however, that Assayas is a poor filmmaker. I get that all this aloof behavior is an affectation of the period – these kids are sincere about their ideas, not their hearts – but after a while, it’s practically impossible to engage with this world since there’s no attempt at depth. Gilles’ girlfriend Laure (Carole Combes) dumps him in a particularly cruel way, and Assayas never supplies a single scene of grief. It gets to be beyond the point of parody: Alain announces he’s going back to Afghanistan for a second time, and Gilles does not blink an eye. Whenever someone makes a major life decision, no one reacts with surprise. What we see are a series of inter-connected events Gilles and the others may march for political reasons while their feelings are adrift. Time moves forward, but Assayas’ characters generally do not. ![]() The best and worst part about Something in the Air is how it lacks a narrative. They wander through life, enjoying the moment, at least until the latest idea pops into their head. Since they’re young and in Italy, of course Alain and Gilles fall in love (not with each other). Alain (Felix Armand) and Jean-Pierre (Hugo Conzelmann) accompany Gilles when they vandalize the school, and once Jean-Pierre gets caught, the remaining two flee to Italy. As part of a Maoist collective, revenge on the campus police interests Gilles more than any substantive change. A friend whispers the time and place for a riot, so he abandons his post for a clash with the cops. When he leaves class, he immediately begins selling a leftist newspaper on the sidewalk. Gilles (Clément Métayer) is really busy for a high school student. Like feelings of nostalgia, Something in the Air is hazy and meandering, which is a weakness for a film but not a memory. It looks like a perfect time for a teenager: there is social revolt everywhere, so otherwise angst-ridden teenagers can use their inner anger for something useful like revolution. ![]() Set in France during the early seventies, the main character shares autobiographical details with Assayas, who came of age during that period. Olivier Assayas’ Something in the Air is a nostalgia machine on overdrive.
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