'Something in the Air' shows that revolutionaries like comforts as much as the ruling class
'Something' shows director Olivier Assayas's sympathy with the movie's would-be revolutionary.
'Something in the Air' is directed by Olivier Assayas.
Courtesy of MK2 Productions
Olivier Assayas鈥檚 鈥淪omething in the Air鈥� is set in 1971, three years after the barricade-busting student-led political riots in suburban Paris. Gilles (Cl茅ment M茅tayer) is 17 鈥� the same age Assayas was at that time 鈥� and the film benefits from the director鈥檚 deep-held simpatico with this would-be revolutionary. Gilles鈥檚 eventual retreat, with his firebrand girlfriend (Lola Cr茅ton), to a life of summer bohemianism in an Italian villa is both ironic and welcome.
Assayas doesn鈥檛 bring out the fiery best in this material, but he鈥檚 smart enough to know that revolutionaries like their comforts as much as the ruling class does. Grade: B (Unrated.)