I like 'Ishmael's ghosts.' I find it an enjoyable experience. But this is absolutely not a feature that a general audience could easily latch onto. It's dense, and relies ponderously on the strength of the primary cast's performances.

Mathieu Amalric, Marion Cotillard, and Charlotte Gainsbourg are all phenomenal actors, wherever one may see them. Alone they contain multitudes, seeming to very naturally carry and fluidly deliver every necessary emotion and line of dialogue for the roles they inhabit. Together, in any combination, they are marvelous scene partners; it feels as though they manifest their own dynamics regardless of what is written or directed, building and releasing tension entirely on their own. A fine screenplay or substantive camerawork may guide them and lend aid to their craft, but they are the stars in the truest sense.

Here they deftly maneuver a narrative flow that is more fast-paced than I ever could have imagined, and dialogue that's often issued with the speed of an emotionally distraught auctioneer. They rein in that unwieldy rapidity and conduct it to their own intention. Those words between actors, or spoken in voiceover as narration, are superb in their writing, if usually undeniably obtuse.

And the skills of the cast are ever more essential because 'Ishmael's ghosts' strikes me very much as less a film, and more a stage play realized on film. There appear to be two distinct acts. Grégoire Hetzel's score is of a playful mood-setting character that suggests compositions played over a theater's sound system. Particularly in the first half, cinematic scenes are so heavy with dialogue, and interactions between characters, as to suggest "scenes" in the sense of a stageplay; filming locations, set decoration, and shots flesh out the play's setting with a modest flourish as only a film can - while also serving the same purpose as a live scene change. The last few minutes of the movie consist largely of Gainsbourg speaking directly into the camera, as though an actor seated downstage, looking out into the audience.

And while there is definite plot here, the more that the feature focuses strictly on its characters, the more the forces of and between them indicate to me a theatrical production. Carlotta almost seems a living embodiment of gnawing doubt, uncertainty, and fear in the most esoteric sense. Her arrival exposes rifts in characters' relationships and even in their perceptions of themselves, their very sense of self. She left feeling crushed under the weight of Ishmael's single-minded purpose, and her departure allowed for the freeing, invigorating spirit of Sylvia to take hold in his life. Her return portends a shift in balance, whereupon Sylvia's liberating energy falters, and Ishmael's purpose is left to wallow adrift in Carlotta's wake. In the second act, Sylvia's lofty air retreats above the clouds - Carlotta's disquiet disperses and floats elsewhere as if on a breeze - and Ishmael, his purpose unmoored, increasingly languishes in the confused, directionless fervor that accompanied his wife's return. To a lesser extent, supporting characters echo this bent: actress Faunia (Alba Rohrwacher) represents youth, and youthful dreams, that Ishmael wishes to hold onto; line producer Zwy (Hippolyte Girardot) bears strong intent as he pleadingly seeks to reorient Ishmael's purpose.

A greater emphasis on genuine narrative in the second act somewhat breaks the spell cast by the first, yet the performances of all involved continue to anchor 'Ishmael's ghosts' and do much of the work to make it engrossing. Fine editing boosts visuals that further cement the notion of a stage play while complementing steady camerawork and dissecting characters' mindsets. Costume design, though subservient to other aspects, is just as carefully considered.

This is, as the saying goes, a tough nut to crack. I can't begrudge anyone for finding it difficult to engage with; I'm unsure that I've totally caught what the film-makers have produced. But 'Ishmael's ghosts' is a well-made feature generally, and Amalric, Cotillard, and Gainsbourg's performances alone are worth giving it a try.

"Ismael's Ghosts" (2017 release from France; 135 min.; original title "Les Fantômes d'Ismaël" ) brings the story of Ismael. As the movie opens, we follow the conversation among several bureaucrats at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the mysterious disappearance of a certain Ivan Dedalus, who had just started his career there. As it turns out this story is being developed in the mind of Ismael, a film maker. We get to know Ismael, as he carries on with his girlfriend Sylvie. We learn that Ismael's wife Carlotta, who mysteriously disappeared 20 years ago, and Ismael had her officially listed as "missing". Then one day at the beach, Sylvie runs into a woman she thinks is Carlotta... IS it the real Carlotta? how will this affect Ismael? and what about the movie-within-the-movie? At this point we are less than 15 minutes into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from director (and co-writer) Arnaud Desplechin, whose previous movie was the likable "Golden Days" (original title "Trois Souvenirs de ma Jeunesse"). Here, Desplechin rides several parallel story lines: the complicated life and relationships of Ismael, whether or not the real Carlotta has come back, and the movie-within-the-movie. It should make for an appealing mix, but alas, you might be wrong. First of all, I just don't "get" the point" of the movie-within-the-movie, which simply doesn't seem to have any connection with the real movie--and if it does, I completely missed it. Second, the relationships that play out between the three main characters never came across as genuine or believable. And that is a darn shame for Charlotte Gainsbourg (whom I otherwise absolutely adore) in the role of Sylvie, Marion Cotillard as Carlotta, and Mathieu Amalric as Ismael. I mean, those are top notch names, but even they cannot save this movie. Bottom line: "Ismael's Ghosts" is a giant waste of acting and creative talent.

"Ismeal's Ghosts" premiered at last year's Cannes film festival, to ho-hum acclaim. Almost to the day a year later, the movie opened at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. Truthfully, if it weren't for the fact that this stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, I doubt I would've gone to see it. As it was, the Monday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended poorly (3 people, including myself),and I cannot see this playing longer than one week in the theater (at least here in Cincinnati). I encourage you to check it out, be it in the theater (not very likely at this point),on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

The basis for a good film is always a good screenplay. Because the screenplay of 'Les fantômes d'Ismaël' is a mess, the film is a failure. What is undoubtedly meant as an intelligent multi-layered story highlighting the many aspects in the life of a film maker, is in reality an incomprehensible hodgepodge of subplots going nowhere.

Right from the very beginning, the viewer is confused. The first few scenes are not scenes from the film we're watching, but from a film within the film, which is being shot by lead character Ismaël. The main plot item, however, is the return of his wife, who has been missing for 20 years and was presumed dead. This in itself can be fine material for a well-acted drama, exploring the way the husband, his girlfriend and his long lost wife cope with this new situation. With multiple award winning actresses like Charlotte Gainsbourg and Marion Cotillard on hand, this would seem to be the most logical option.

Instead, the viewer is offered a myriad of increasingly complicated side-stories, flash backs and dream-like sequences, culminating in a laughable scene of the tormented film maker shooting his own executive producer by accident. I have no doubt this film tries to make a point, but I'm afraid only the director knows which one. Unless you're a fan of French pseudo-intellectual art-house dramas, this film is to be avoided.