Boris Without Béatrice

Côté often frames his protagonists in such precise compositions that the world they inhabit is inescapably artificial and symbolic, rather than dramatic.

Much like the film’s clinical cinematography, which is dominated by consistently striking yet lifeless tableaux, Côté’s theorem is closed in on itself, failing to produce interesting results.

Beautiful to look at, the film showcases Côté’s talents at building tone and theme through images and sounds.

Cote’s film is consistently interesting without making the self-involved Boris’s plight in any way compelling.

Boris Without Béatrice never feels like the work of an artist who actually believes in everything he’s doing.

A brittle, no-joke comedy of unchecked privilege that maintains the tone of social satire without ever alighting on a specific target.

This is a laborious film that dulls the human drama at its core. Rather than pulling you into the protagonist's gradual acquaintance with his unfamiliar conscience, it shuts you out, leaving you bored and indifferent.