Netflix plans a sturdy Oscar push for its Cannes pick-up “Nouvelle Imprecise” (in theaters October 31, streaming November 14), Richard Linklater‘s love letter to Jean-Luc Godard’s first movie, “Breathless.” The 1960 film, which cinematographer Raoul Coutard shot in single, silent takes on the streets of Paris, was a trailblazer in its use of pure gentle and disjunctive leap cuts.
Linklater’s black-and-white 35mm film is neither prequel, sequel, nor remake of Godard’s movie. It’s not a documentary. The filmmaker merely recreates with a French forged and crew what it was prefer to make the movie. “There’s not a shot on this film that wouldn’t slot in ’59 to ’62 or ’63,” he advised IndieWire.
Netflix plans to push the movie for Finest Image, Director (Linklater has been nominated as soon as, for “Boyhood”), Supporting Actor —Aubry Dullin as Belmondo and Guillaume Marbeck as Godard—Supporting Actress (Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg) and Screenplay (Holly Gent, Laetitia Masson, and Vincent Palmo Jr.’s script might be tailored or unique). There’s loads of precedent for foreign-language films gaining sufficient assist for nominations in these classes, from Neon‘s “Parasite,” “Anatomy of a Fall,” and “The Worst Individual within the World” to Netflix’s personal “Emilia Pérez,” which scored 13 nominations.
However one of the best likelihood for “Nouvelle Imprecise” to win a class is Finest Worldwide Characteristic and Netflix fervently hopes that “Nouvelle Imprecise” might be on France’s mid-September shortlist. North American distributors represented on that checklist make shows to the 11-person Oscar choice committee as to why its movie is the strongest contender. Then, they wait.
France generally picks effectively (Ladj Ly’s 2020 “Les Misérables” marks its final nomination); typically, it doesn’t (the committee did not nominate Finest Unique Screenplay Oscar-winner “Anatomy of a Fall”). The nation has not loved a Finest Worldwide Characteristic win since “Indochine” in 1993.
As a result of “Nouvelle Imprecise” is produced by main French distributors Laurent Pétin and Michèle Pétin with a French forged and crew, the truth that Texan Linklater directed the movie starring American Zoey Deutch just isn’t a dealbreaker. France has beforehand submitted non-French filmmakers, together with Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven’s French movie “Elle,” starring Isabelle Huppert and Italian Filippo Neneghetti’s “Two of Us.” Japan submitted German auteur Wim Wenders’ “Excellent Days,” which was nominated in 2024.
However “Nouvelle Imprecise” has one severe competitor. Neon acquired French resident Jafar Panahi’s Iranian drama “It Was Simply an Accident” two days earlier than it gained the 2025 Palme d’Or; its French producers are Philippe Martin and David Thion, whose “Anatomy of a Fall” gained the 2024 Palme d’Or (and 5 Oscar nominations).
Neon is a veteran of the Oscar submission fray, arguing unsuccessfully for “Portrait of a Woman on Fireplace” (no shortlist) and “Titane” (no nomination) however touchdown a range for Palme d’Or winner “Parasite,” which gained the Worldwide Characteristic class together with Finest Image and Director.
“Nouvelle Imprecise” is an fulfilling romp that celebrates an icon of French cinema however didn’t win any Cannes prizes. “It Was Simply an Accident” is a severe critique of the continuing corruption in authoritarian Iran, whose authorities has imprisoned the filmmaker, who put himself in peril to shoot the movie in secret. Whereas he’s now legally free, will the nation proceed to let Panahi come and go? “It Was Simply an Accident” has a robust narrative behind it, and Panahi might be accepting awards and tributes at festivals together with TIFF and Busan. Which approach will France go?
Campaigning on behalf of Neon just isn’t solely indefatigable CEO Tom Quinn but additionally new distribution chief and veteran Oscar whisperer Ryan Werner. And Netflix government Lisa Taback and her awards crew wish to seize a victory on this class after final 12 months’s “Emilia Pérez” imbroglio.
As for France, its movie group is simply rooting for an Oscar win after 32 years with out.