Parents' Guide to Coup de Chance

Woody Allen's best movie in some years, this French-language drama/thriller is a successful, satisfying combination of storytelling elements that have cropped up throughout his career. Allen has long admired European filmmakers, and with Coup de Chance (his 50th film!), he's achieved his ultimate homage. Early in his career, Allen began making dramas like Interiors (which tried to emulate Swedish master Ingmar Bergman) while trying to slough off the limiting banner of "comedy filmmaker," but his efforts were somewhat stuffy and never fully appreciated. ("We like your earlier, funnier ones," goes a joking refrain from Stardust Memories.) Later, he tackled the British crime drama genre with serious movies like Match Point and Cassandra's Dream, with some success. Now he's cleverly combined a sophisticated study of romance, longing and guilt with a sly murder mystery—and all in French. It's like a mashup of movies by French New Wave directors Eric Rohmer and Claude Chabrol.

Directing in a second language, Allen coaxes surprisingly naturalistic performances from his cast, who portray dimensional, flawed characters. We genuinely care about Fanny's plight, and we believe her connections to both Alain and Jean. Glorious cinematography by the legendary Vittorio Storaro captures their story in lustrous, luxurious long takes. When the crafty crime aspect is woven in, it's done so subtly, with no overt violence, and merely a rising sense of threat. One particular behavioral choice—a character who should have known better cluelessly wanders into danger—is a quibble, but Coup de Chance works so well that it's forgivable.