A surreal, madcap, on-again, off-again romance between a married 63-year old father of two and a middle-aged dentist and airline pilot is the subject of 87-year old French director Alain Resnais' latest film, Wild Grass. Based on Christian Gailly's novel, The Incident, from a screenplay by Laurent Herbiet and Alex Reval, Wild Grass treats its characters with respect and humor, yet the film, winner of the Jury Special Prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, stands out more for the colorful cinematography by Eric Gautier and fine acting from Resnais' regulars Sabine Azéma and André Dussollier than for its puzzling narrative.

The couple, Marguerite Muir (Azéma) and Georges Palet (Dussollier),meet after Marguerite, out shopping for a new pair of shoes, has her purse stolen by a thief on roller blades and consequently loses her red wallet filled with money, credit cards, and identification papers. Georges, however, recovers Marguerite's lost wallet beneath the wheel of his car and returns it to the police. Interested in aviation and intrigued by a photo of the wallet's owner dressed in a pilot's outfit, Georges decides that he wants to meet her.

After the police inform Marguerite that her wallet has been turned in, she calls Georges to say thank you but he is expecting more and his longing for connection is not satisfied, beginning a pursuit that soon becomes an obsession. He sends her letters, leaves messages on her phone, and slashes her tires to keep her at home but she wants nothing to do with him. Ultimately he persists until she informs the police of the unwanted intrusion in her life. Typical of the screwball relationship, however, she suddenly begins to pursue Georges on her own, making visits to his house late at night and waiting for him in a café outside of a movie theatre where he is watching a favorite film from his childhood, The Bridges at Toko Ri. "You love me, then," Georges exclaims when he sees her for the first time.

Throughout it all, there is an underlying hint of danger with suggestions made about Georges' possibly violent past which outbursts of temper seem to underscore. Even so, everything is handled with a light touch and one never fears for Marguerite's safety and elements of danger or even horror are quickly replaced by rapid shots of romance and even snippets of musicals. Like other aged directors swan songs, Rohmer's The Romance of Astrea and Celadon, Bergman's Saraband, and Kurosawa's Madadayo, Resnais', in his latest work, continues to grow and experiment, although some may say that the styles of these octogenarian directors have basically remained consistent throughout their careers.

Far removed from the seriousness of his most famous films, Hiroshima, Mon Amour and Last Year at Marienbad, just when you think you have figured out Wild Grass, Resnais' whimsy keeps shifting into new territory and its bizarre twists and turns, fake endings, and character reversals will keep you off balance right up until the film's final frame. Like the wild grass in the title which grows where it is least expected, nothing is predictable in this playful but often too cutesy little film.

If those poseurs who claimed to have comprised a New Wave had made anything one tenth as good as this the New Wave wouldn't have been the joke it was. With a cast to die for, roughly one half of the cream of current French cinema Resnais has fashioned a bauble to delight palettes jaded with Hollywood and UK pap. Half the cast have worked together before - indeed Resnais can boast something of a minor repertory company albeit some of the regulars - Lambert Wilson for example - are missing. Sabine Azema and Andre Dussollier have worked together countless times and not just for Resnais (Tanguy is a case in point where they played a married couple) as have Mattieu Amlaric and Manu Devos, although not quite so frequently. Add the gorgeous Ann Consigny to the mix and you are looking at a formidable quintet. The story is gossamer thin, soufflé-lite if you will but in this case it is very much Style and not Content that makes this so enriching. Not for the Multiplexes for which relief much thanks.

I don't know much about French film director, Alain Resnais, until now. This film is strange to say the least. I bought the French films when the video store closed. I have spent this summer catching up on DVDs and videos in hopes of cleaning up my collection. This film is about two people, Georges, and Marguerite. By chance, Georges finds her red wallet and returns it to the police. The red wallet symbolizes Marguerite's life and identity. Both are unhappy with their lives. They find something in each other. Marguerite has red hair and it sticks out just like her red wallet. Georges is married for a long time to his wife. Their interaction is more like a partnership. The ending is abstract, strange, and ambiguous. The film has its moments. The actors are great.