Movies about real historical events and persons from everyday perspective are cool.This one's about the legendary French director Jean-Luc Godard (played by Louis Garrel) reaching middle-age and marrying a young girl (Stacy Martin). It turns out Goddard, idolized by movie lovers and critcs, turns out to be the immature one in the relationship.Like any good movie about relationships should, Le redoutable" has both moments of laughter and soul wrenching drama. But above all, this is a character portrait of a increasingly domineering and unpleasant man.Writer-director Michel Hazanavicius approaches the study of the character from the deep psychological standpoint. He does not offer some easy and populist way of explaining the reasons behind tormented genius's growing disagreeableness over time.Just like in real life, there's no one single cause for how one behaves, especially not something external that would be easy to blame and would adequately summarize everything that's going on in human soul (bad influence, broken heart etc).If the viewer is not willing or able to go that deep, there's still enough going on to justify the time spent. The movie is humorous - especially in the first half - and offers a vivid overview about how destructive immature people can become in loving relationship if they wrestle with power and intimacy issues.In Godard's character, I found much of myself and what I've had to wrestle with in relationships - and still have to. So watching it was a bit depressing for me, for probably nobody enjoys seeing one's ow faults so clearly from aside (in others).The second half turns increasingly darker in mood and get exhausting because there's basically only one situation filling the story which gets repeated over and over again. The lack of variety is the reason of me hesitating to give it higher score than 7 out of 10.The story centers mostly on Godard and young wife, Anne Wiazemsky, and their performances are really good. These are demanding roles because the marital discord doesn't grow from one explosive conflict to another but accumulating stress and tension between two people, expressed mostly in subtle bodily or facial impressions that the camera eagerly catches.This kind of inner burning based suspense is surely difficult to build on screen, and both stars are really good at it (with the help of the director, of course).I enjoyed Stacy Martin's performance especially, for in a way, she has fewer resources to build the character than Garrel whose Godard does most of the talking.Martin gives a beautifully restrained but emotive performance as the ever-suffering wife. She's the emotional backbone of the story and probably the one thing you'll remember the best from the movie.Based on the memoir of Anne Wiazemsky, who became a novelist and published the book on her life with French cinema genius in 2015. Godard lives on, but she passed away just weeks ago, October 5th this year, succumbing to battle with breast cancer at the age of 70.Michel Hazanavicius is best known for The Artist" that got nominated for ten Oscars, and won five, in 2012, including for the best movie and director.

Comme d'habitude chez Hazanavicius, Le Redoutable est un film d'une propreté technique désarmante. Les décors sont fabuleux, les costumes, la photo et la musique sont au diapason. Et comme d'habitude, c'est le scénario qui pêche. Hazanavicius a de bonnes blagues en stock. Il les fait malheureusement durer cinq fois trop longtemps chacune. C'est dommage car cela gâche une superbe interprétation de Louis Garrel dans le rôle titre, où il est absolument fantastique. A la place, Hazanavicius se concentre sur Stacy Martin, totalement abominable dans un rôle charnière. Mais envers et contre tous, il se trouve que le Redoutable est un film assez sympathique, qui dure 30 minutes de trop, mais qui n'est jamais vraiment ennuyeux, à défaut d'être constamment divertissant.

I liked this a lot more than I expected to. It's very smart, very funny, and surprisingly feminist. It's about a man, and he's ostensibly the central character, but it's from the PoV of a woman and based on her memoirs. We see Godard as she sees him -- initially as a charming and eccentric artist, and eventually as an asshole. I think it's about (among other things) calling someone on their bullshit.

Occasionally disrespectful and hugely amusing... It's carried off with an irreverence that would delight Mel Brooks.

Disciples of Godard will be gritting their teeth... but then Redoubtable isn't really for them.

Hazanavicius's film is full of stylistic nods to Godard, but is a bit of a hatchet job: it may also be accurate.

I found myself chuckling throughout Redoubtable, surprisingly entertained by its slapstick iconoclasm.

A searing condemnation of the ways in which politics have a tendency to creep into every nook and cranny of life, from artistic endeavors to love affairs to friendships.

there's a playful irreverence about the narrative treatment that keeps it watchable, and Garrel, often seen as a narcissistic actor, paradoxically gives perhaps his most likeable performance yet as a largely dislikeable character.

Manages to be a biopic, postmodern comedy, stylistic homage and poignant relationship study all at once.

With a committed, stylized performance from lead actor Louis Garrel ... in the titular role, the film is the perfect simultaneous homage and takedown of its subject.

This is an ideal film for film students or those moviegoers who still retain the rebellious spirit of the 60s... [Full review in Spanish]

At times - the film's best times - Garrel resembles Buster Keaton flailing to survive in a hostile world.

Amusingly irreverent in its depiction of the great maestro.

Uncertain whether or not to lampoon or truly lay into Godard, in the end this biopic falls between two poles: ironic, given its subject is one of the most decisively committed filmmakers ever.