Ismael’s Ghosts (Les Fantômes d’Ismaël)

Writer/Director Arnaud Desplechin’s Ismael’s Ghosts (Les Fantômes d’Ismaël) is an attempt to depict the nightmares of a neurotic film director (Mathieu Amalric).

After meeting a fairly normal woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg), he is able to work until his wife (Marion Cotillard), who disappeared almost 22 years ago, returns and tries to re-involve herself in his life.

Though the performances are superb, the story suffer from too many homages to other directors instead of being coherent within the neuroses and pushes the audience away instead of pulling us in.

I can only give Ismael’s Ghosts (Les Fantômes d’Ismaël) a 3.4 out of 5.