French Exit Review: A Darkly Comedic and Quirky Family Affair

Release date: April 2, 2021
Running time: 114 minutes
Cast: Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges, Valerie Mahaffey, Imogen Poots
Director: Azazel Jacobs

“My plan was to die before the money ran out,” says 60-year-old penniless Manhattan socialite Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer), but things didn’t go as planned. Her husband Franklin has been dead for 12 years and with his vast inheritance gone, she cashes in the last of her possessions and resolves to live out her twilight days anonymously in a borrowed apartment in Paris, accompanied by her directionless son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges) and a cat named Small Frank—who may or may not embody the spirit of Frances’s dead husband.

French Exit is a strange film, but the strangeness is a large part of its charm.  The movie has a decidedly dark, dry sense of humor that will bring a smile to your face the moment after you cringe.  And this is sold by the fantastic cast, particlularly Michelle Pfeiffer.  She is magnetic as the socialite Frances Price, with a quirky character that does so many unnatural things while making them seem perfectly normal.  I loved her character's strange mannerisms, quirks, and the unapologetic view of life.  Pfeiffer brings so much to this role; she fully emobodies Frances and her charming, cunning, and conniving personality.  Pfeiffer controls every scene she is in and thankfully that is most of them.  I just couldn't get enough of her character!  Lucas Hedges is also enjoyable as her son Malcolm, although he has a decidedly less quirky character.  He does have to deal with his mother's strange activities and outbursts, and Hedges is the perfect foil to Pfeiffer.  Much more reserved but also quite enjoyable to see, the pair have a great chemistry and a wonderful comfort on screen.  

And although these actors bring some amazing performances, they are fueled by this sharp, witty, and dark script.  I love the dialogue and kept wanting to hear more.  The frank conversations that Frances and Malcolm have, as well as the enjoyable and blunt discussion with other characters really propel this film forward.  And on top of the great dialogue, the film also has fantastic cinematography.  The shot choice and placement of the camera are perfect, and the film has a lot of slow pan shots that give you a sense of the French part of the French Exit while also highlighting important details to the viewer.

The story of French Exit goes is a slow burning one.  Like a great play, the film doesn't have a lot of action, mostly consisting of conversations between the various characters that come in and out of Frances and Malcolm's lives.  The majority of the film takes place in Frances's borrowed apartment, with forays into the city.  And the film also goes to some strange places, but I loved following it there.  It has a little bit of mysticism, some relationship drama, and a  whole lot of charm. And these stranger parts of the story allow for some additional characters to enter the film.  However, although I really loved pretty much everything about this film and it's quirky set of characters, it did feel like there could be some more diversity in the cast.  

The dry, dark comedic style, wonderful dialogue, and quirky cast of characters fueled by Pfeiffer's magnetic performance make French Exit a film worth staying for.

Watch it.

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French Exit is available in theaters nationwide on April 2, 2021.  For showtimes, click here. 

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