The Innocent

The fourth feature directed by the actor Louis Garrel, The Innocent (2022) premiered at Cannes and won the César for Best Original Screenplay, confirming Garrel — long a fixture of French art cinema as a performer — as a deft film-maker in his own right. A nimble blend of comedy, crime and romance, it marked his most commercially successful work behind the camera.

Garrel himself stars as Abel, the anxious son convinced his mother's new husband, a charming ex-con played by Roschdy Zem, is leading her astray; Anouk Grinberg is the irrepressible mother and Noémie Merlant the friend who pulls Abel into the scheme. Garrel directs with a light, classical touch and an evident affection for the genre traditions he plays with, balancing heist-movie mechanics against a warm comedy of family and second chances. A celebrated set piece built around a rehearsed seduction shows his confidence with tone.

French audiences and critics responded warmly, and the screenplay's wit and structure drew particular praise. Charming, brisk and surprisingly tender beneath its caper plot, The Innocent showcases a new generation of French film-makers reworking the pleasures of classic genre cinema. It is an unpretentious delight — proof that Garrel's gifts extend well past the screen presence that first made his name. Garrel surrounds himself with a sharp ensemble — Roschdy Zem, Anouk Grinberg, Noémie Merlant — and the film's effortless blend of tones marked him out as one of the most promising actor-turned-directors in recent French cinema.