The French Italian (2024)

-Written by Kyle Bain. 

The French Italian follows a young couple, Valerie (Catherine Cohen) and Doug (Aristotle Athari), as they navigate a world in which they feel they’ve been slighted, displaced, and frustrated by antagonistic neighbors. They soon find themselves in an irreversible situation, one that promises both positive and negative futures for both. 

Our leads are much like cartoons. They are highly animated, they have an overbearing and aggressive presence, and their train of thought is one of the most inconsistent that I’ve ever seen in a film. They are incredibly frustrating characters, and I’m not sure that there was ever a moment in which I was able to accept them and overcome my reticence. The French Italian employs a series of frustratingly obnoxious characters, and there is no relenting, often making it challenging to appreciate the narrative that they are in charge of piloting. 

The issue with the characters also exists within the narrative. It’s exaggerated, inorganic, unkempt—and there’s a strong chance that many viewers will find it difficult to find a connection to the narrative as well. Frumpy and antagonistic, The French Italian is often too much to handle. 

I’ve often found that modern-day satires fail to deliver the same way that the genre did years ago. They often lack vigor, substance, and depth like the films of decades past—and there are times when the subtle messaging is lost in the presentation, failing to reach viewers with the passion necessary to make change. The French Italian suffers from this as well. There’s something missing from this film, something that hinders its ability to fully reach viewers and comment on various social issues in a way that makes waves. 

With everything I’ve said so far, I still believe that Writer-Director Rachel Wolther and Co-Writer Jesse Millward have developed an idea that has the ability to transcend audiences, to garner change in this world, and to force viewers to look at themselves in the mirror and question their existence. There is something existential and meaningful buried within The French Italian, and there are moments in which it rears its head. I am not the correct viewer for a film like this. While I appreciate satire, comedy, and existentialism in the films that I watch, the constant use of exaggeration is unintentionally confrontational, and I struggled with it from start to finish. 

There’s a meaningful narrative buried beneath the surface of The French Italian, and it’s begging to get out. Wolther and Millward ultimately achieve what I believe they set out to do, and The French Italian is, by no means, a bad film. However, it’s a film that may take too many liberties, extends the plot too far, and ostracizes viewers like me as a result. 

Directed by Rachel Wolther. 

Written by Jesse Millward & Rachel Wolther. 

Starring Catherine Cohen, Aristotle Athari, Chloe Cherry, Ruby McCollister, Jon Rudnitsky, etc.

6.5/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE