Regular Lovers

Years later, Philippe Garrel brings the upheaval of May 1968 to the big screen and stands on the other side of the barricades from Bernardo Bertolucci. Unlike Dreamers, with its head in the clouds, Regular Lovers does not try to win over the audience, but passes a sober judgment on the Paris revolts instead. To some the three-hour film may prove demanding, but viewers will be rewarded with William Lubtchansky’s hypnotizing and masterful black-and-white cinematography. The plot centers on the figure of a young poet named François (played by the director’s son, Louis Garrel), who is carried away by the fever of rebellion. The situation gets more complicated, however, when the young man meets the beautiful Lilie. They are forced to choose between their feelings and loyalty to hippie ideals. Their intimate story is set against a background of big politics and a revolution gradually in decline. Disappointed in reality, they indulge in the chaos of drugs. True freedom gives way to a grotesque delusion.