AVClub: From the very beginning of his career, French filmmaker François Ozon (Under The Sand, 8 Women, Swimming Pool) has recognized both gender and sexual preference as more fluid than defined. “A Summer Dress,” the 1996 short that first got him noticed internationally (it was released in the U.S as a package with his hour-long feature See The Sea), tells the story of a gay man who’s persuaded to have sex with a woman for the first time, then feels unexpectedly liberated when he puts her clothes on afterwards. Ozon’s latest feature, The New Girlfriend, is adapted from a short story written by Ruth Rendell back in 1985, yet it brings him full circle, in a way, just as the culture has finally started to catch up with him. As recently as a year ago, when the film premiered on the festival circuit, it would have been hard to predict how timely it would seem today.
Richard of PopCults.com "If there is one thing that can be said for certain about me it is that I am in no way a conventional person. I’m not so abnormal that I am unrelatable or alien; but a lot of my likes, hobbies and even everyday way I go about things in life is in no way the way a majority of people would do so in life. ... I guess that is why when I tried to come up with a list of romantic movies for couples to watch leading up to Valentine’s Day not one of the five films on the list would be classified as your typical romantic movie. In fact, four of them are rather out there and barely dances on the fringes of being romantic while the one that is the closest to your cookie-cutter romance film is more of a chance encounters kind of film than a true romance movie. Still, I believe that these films do convey the message of love and understanding and romance that any other conventional film would. They may not be your typical Sleepless in Seattle, Love Story, The Notebook or even Titanic, but the message is still clearly embedded in them about what the main attraction of the film is. So please enjoy, and do try to keep an open mind about them… I promise you – they will entertain you."
Movie synopsis from the official website reads:
“Claire (rising French star Anais Demoustier) discovers a secret about the husband of her late best friend, Laura. Following Laura’s death, Claire reaches out to comfort bereaved David (Romain Duris), only to discover his secret: he enjoys dressing as a woman. In acclaimed writer-director Francois Ozon’s provocative new film, he elevates his exploration of modern sexuality and femininity to a new level.”
