Va Savoir is the exact kind of film that I had in mind when I started writing this feature — the kind that, when you finally do find it, you feel like you’ve discovered a beautiful but rarely traveled island. These are the kind of films that inspire you to lead others to the hidden treasure, and tend to hold a more personal place in your viewing history.
Why we missed it: Although he was working consistently, it had been since 1991 with La Belle Noiseuse that people had paid attention to French master Jacques Rivette.
The cast may be familiar to foreign-film connoisseurs, but none of the actors would turn heads in the States.
Why we should have known: Was well-received at Cannes, with Rivette nominated for the Palme D'Or director’s award, and was also the New York Film Festival’s opening night selection in 2001. But other than that, there's no reason to feel guilty for missing this one.
Why we ended up kicking ourselves: What could very easily have looked like a Meg Ryan vehicle (French Kiss, anyone?) in the hands of a lesser director, is a perfect balance of comedy and drama with Rivette in charge.
The protagonists are all either actors, artists or intellectuals that take themselves inherently seriously, which makes it all the funnier when they find themselves repeatedly stuck in ridiculous situations.
It's light-hearted but not without weight; even at its most outrageous, the film always comes back to a measured story about love in real life.
Why we may have been better off without it: A little long at two-and-a-half hours, this should be viewed as a hard edit from a director whose Out 1 notoriously clocked in at thirteen.
Bound to make you wonder why gorgeous women aren’t working at your local library (it’s a movie!), and could possibly induce feelings of slight depression that your own love life isn’t written by an old-soul romantic out of the French New Wave. Again, it’s really just a movie. . .
— Bryan Whitefield