Photo: Distrib Films
Of late, the films of Philippe Garrel have felt less like standalone works than items in a series variations on familiar themes and subjects (romantic love, sexual infidelity), all bound by a concerted stylistic consistency (pared-down plots, black-and-white widescreen frames). Co-written by Jean-Claude Carrière and Arlette Langmann (regular collaborators of Garrel’s since 2013’s
Jealousy), the veteran French director’s latest,
The Salt Of Tears, is no exception. Like his previous films, it features a selfish, callow man acting selfishly and callowly, romantic complications born of his actions, and ironic narration that intermittently comments on both. But though it runs longer than his last three features (all of which came in under 80 minutes),