Wild Innocence (2001) - Philippe Garrel

Francois, a young auteur filmmaker is inspired to create his new film, a cautionary tale about drug abuse, but is having trouble finding anyone who is willing to fund his efforts.  The death of his wife, who succumbed to a drug overdose, is clearly a motivating factor for Francois.  Out of desperation, Francois approaches a sketchy financier, Chas, who agrees to finance Francois' film as long as Francois agrees to help smuggle heroin into France.  Philippe Garrel's Wild Innocence is a multi-layered film which tackles interesting themes of Fiction vs. Reality, and how artistic drive can be both a blessing and a curse. Francois hires Lucie, a young rather inexperienced actress, as the lead character and we see her pushed to the edge by this complicated role and tough director, struggling between reality and fiction, even beginning to become a drug addict herself.  This of course works towards the biggest theme of the film, as Francois channels his inner turmoil of his wife's death into the film, becoming increasingly more and more obsessed and emotionally consumed with capturing the essence of what his wife went through.  Wild Innocence is not an easy film, as many will find it scatter-brained or just slow, but the psychological nuances are present and while I don't think it is one of Garrel's best films, it is an interesting commentary on the auteurist personality.

7.25/10

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