Movie Review: 'French Exit'

If you’re curious about the title, French Exit, specifically what is a ‘French Exit,' the Wiktionary defines a French Exit as “A hasty exit without farewells to anybody.” It is, indeed, an apt title for the new comedy from director Azazel Jacobs, the writer-director of the lovely romantic comedy of manners, The Lovers. In French Exit, Jacobs re-teams with his The Lovers’ star Tracy Letts who portrays the voice of a cat.

Yes, French Exit is quirky. When I sat down to watch it, I had mistaken it for a Wes Anderson movie, his new movie is called The French Dispatch, hence my confusion. I was quickly disabused of that notion however as Jacobs’ story in French Exit may be colorful but his palette is far less opulent and flamboyant as Anderson’s often gaudy flights of visual fantasy are. That said, the wonderful character portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer would fit perfectly within Anderson’s idiosyncratic universe.

In French Exit, Michelle Pfeiffer is Frances Price, a widowed millionaire who has somehow managed to blow through her entire fortune. She’s broke and has no idea what she’s going to do with her life. She’s especially worried about her son, Malcolm, whom she fears has fallen in love with Susan (Imogen Poots). A romance for Malcolm would be inconvenient for Frances as she needs her son’s attention at all times.

Plus, she’s found at least a temporary way out of trouble. Frances’ best friend, Joan (Susan Coyne) has an apartment that she and Malcolm can crash in. The only hang up is, it’s in France. Not that Paris is a bad spot to be in but being broke and Malcolm’s relationship with Susan provide obstacles. The solution, sell all the valuables, transfer the money to cash and have Malcolm break up with Susan.

Problems solved and we’re off to Paris where Frances gets into an argument with the family cat who runs away. Yes, she argues with the cat. What you come to find out is that the cat contains the soul of Frances’ late husband, Frank (Tracy Letts). In order to get him back, Frances and Malcolm call upon the talents of a psychic medium named Madeleine whom Malcolm had a fling with on the cruise over from America. Whether Madeleine is able to contact Frank, you will need to see for yourself.

I found the eccentricities of French Exit to be completely charming. Director Azazel Jacobs has something of a madcap romp going on but a very highbrow madcap romp. There is an undercurrent of drama to the shenanigans that occur in French Exit and Jacobs weaves the dramatic and comic elements brilliantly. He deploys plot points with great precision and quite like Wes Anderson, he makes wonderful use of his side characters.

French Exit has roles for actors Valerie Mahaffey and Isaach De Bankole that are pitch perfect weirdoes who bring color to very unusual roles. Mahaffey is the more flamboyant character, an American ex-pat, trapped in Paris following the death of her husband. Mahaffey’s Madame Reynard is clingy and sad but also devoted and loyal in the sweetest way to the people she demands be her friends. As for De Bankole, he plays a strange but very loyal detective.

Michelle Pfeiffer delivers a career best performance in French Exit. Her wit is front and center, as is her remarkably well kept beauty, but it is the undercurrent of genuine despair running just under the surface of the character that really grabbed me. Seeing her son, her long time best friend and partner in crime begin to find his own way in the world is hard enough for Frances but not having a fortune to lavish upon the boy breaks her heart, even if it doesn’t seem to matter to Malcolm whether they are rich or poor.

French Exit is quirky and funny with a dark hearted performance from Michelle Pfeiffer at the center that is so very, very good. I call the movie quirky, and it is, but it’s never saccharine. Pfeiffer’s often harsh wit keeps the quirky elements in line by giving the movie a spiky charm, occasionally, openly mean spirited, but always entertaining.