Rent Breathless (1983)

Neon, Nonsense and Narcissism - Breathless review by griggs

It’s rare for a remake to come anywhere near the original, especially when Hollywood tries to redo a foreign classic. But Breathless gets surprisingly close. It’s not perfect, but it’s far better than it has any right to be. Richard Gere struts through the film like he owns the screen, oozing charisma in a way that almost matches Belmondo’s charm in the original.

The whole thing looks fantastic—bathed in neon, soaked in style, and shot in locations that make you want to hop in a convertible and drive into the desert. The filming techniques are wonderfully retro: sped-up car chases, rear-projection driving shots—it all feels like a love letter to a bygone era of cinema. There’s a definite charm to how out-of-time it all is. It’s slick, silly, and full of energy. A stylish American remix of a French classic that doesn’t disgrace itself.