‘The French Italian’ Review – A Comedy With Lots Of Ups And Down, Just Like Living In New York

Much is constantly made about having a film with likable protagonists. But that sometimes does, and should, go out the window when a movie focuses on people struggling through their early 30s, desperately trying to find their way. Times have changed, and people take longer to set up house and live stable lives. Just because you are in a “committed relationship” and living together, it doesn’t mean that you have any idea where you are headed. Frankly, sometimes the age of the characters doesn’t even matter. We are all hobbling through life, trying to find a safe spot to land. Plus, we are always the heroes of our own story, oftentimes forgetting to take a closer look at our own actions from any perspective besides our own.

Which leads directly to The French Italian, which may sound like a costume drama a la Downton Abbey but focuses instead on Valerie (Cat Cohen) and Doug (Aristotle Athari), a young couple who have recently left their rent-controlled apartment after being repeatedly annoyed (and also fascinated) by their awful downstairs neighbors, Mary (Chloe Cherry) and her possibly abusive boyfriend (Jon Rudnitsky). As the film opens, hopes were quite high. Valerie and Doug feel relatable, despite taking some shortcuts. They attend a party with friends and pass off high end pastries from Zabar’s as their own and are both quite charming in a quirky, big city way. They aren’t perfect, but they are perfectly entertaining.

They both toe the line of appropriate and enjoyable behavior, but manage to make you care about them as they detail their minor obsession with their neighbor. The directorial choice to show flashbacks purely from their perspective assists us in that connection. But, like many of us, they are affected by their peers’ opinions. After being told that their neighbor “ruined their lives” (rent-controlled apartments are like gold!),  they hatch a scheme. In another very big city moment, this particular plan is to create a play (or at least an audition) for Mary as a way to gain their revenge, somehow. When this doesn’t quite do the trick, they have to actually write this play, find a performance space, and a cast. It is not a well thought out plot, but it at least distracts them from their tedious work lives.

The French Italian is an odd film, as it always feels like it is just about to take off. Sadly, because of the stunted script, it never manages to flow in a manner conducive to enjoying the entire runtime. This becomes all the more frustrating as there are several standout moments and performers. The problem really is the structure of their revenge. You never really buy that anyone would believe them in their roles as directors of this play, and yet, everyone, and especially Mary, seems to just go along with it. However, once you get past the lack of logic on display, there is a lot of fun to be had. Cherry, in particular, is a strange kind of wonderful. Her monotone delivery of “bad acting” is truly stellar. Having seen her in work like Euphoria, she definitely has the chops, or at least better chops than Mary. Honestly, watching her rehearse this play would be enjoyable for much longer than the movie focuses on it.

The only time the film really flies is when Wendy (Ruby McCollister) arrives. Wendy is a friend of Valerie and Doug, who has a passion for theater, and may also be just a bit unhinged. McCollister is the definition of an actor who understands the assignment. However, she also creates a bit of a problem, as she is leagues funnier than anyone else in the film. All of the laugh-out-loud moments come directly from her. Her delivery, body language, and facial expressions all add up to a character that we want so much more from, rather than one simply dismissed as crazy. This is not to say that Cohen and Athari don’t have their moments. Cohen, especially, excels as the fast-talking neurotic New Yorker. As she gets more and more animated and her pace somehow increases, it is nearly impossible not to get swept up in the excitement of the moment. 

As the film progresses, it becomes clear that the track laid in the opening scene has led us to the fact that maybe, just maybe, Valerie and Doug could be the problem. They rarely take a moment to breathe and think about their actions. It might be easy to judge them for this, but one only has to look inward at our worst moments to realize that we have all been Valerie and Doug. Hopefully not in this heightened kind of situation, but not as far removed as we might like to think. And like our couple, we are left with only ourselves to deal with our choices. Director and writer Rachel Wolther clearly has a focus on perspective and employs some lovely imagery along with cinematographer Charlotte Hornsby. So much so that it almost completely distracts us from the odd structural choices and consistent misses of the comedy. Although there is promise in Wolther’s work, it would likely be better served to make the entire film about struggling to mount a play in New York.

The French Italian is now playing at The Quad Cinema in New York courtesy of Mirmade. The film will expand to additional markets in the coming weeks before debuting on VOD on October 28, 2025.