The off-the-wall premise of The New Girlfriend could have been one adapted by Pedro Almodóvar. After married woman Claire’s close childhood friend dies, she gives an undertaking to look after the widowed father David and the couple’s daughter, to whom she is godmother. While keeping her promise, she accidentally discovers he is a secret transvestite – David says his wife knew of this. Claire helps him into the outside world in his female persona (which she names Virginia), learns the reasons for the cross-dressing, falls for him in his female guise and, in the process, discovers she isn’t quite a fully committed heterosexual. In the end, romance triumphs.
The New Girlfriend is directed by François Ozon and based on the Ruth Rendell short story of the same name: significant changes to the source were made for its transition to the screen. The film is not as broad as an Almodóvar creation, and it is worth watching Almodóvar’s own Rendell adaptation Live Flesh to see the differences in approach between the directors. Almodóvar’s characters generally play to the scenario while Ozon’s characters always define it. Unsurprisingly, The New Girlfriend’s off-balance mood evokes Claude Chabrol’s Rendell adaptations. But, for Ozon himself, the film has commonalities with much of his own work, especially Swimming Pool’s focus on how one person’s atypical sexuality can affect that of another.
However, despite being a thoughtful rumination on the nature of gender and society’s attitude towards it as definitions are blurred, The New Girlfriend has a lightness of touch, is filled with humour and warmth, and has terrifically engaging leads, both of whom clearly had a ball making the film. The enthusiasm of and chemistry between Anaïs Demoustier (Claire) and Romain Duris (David/Virginia) is palpable.
Unfortunately, this DVD release has no extras. It would have been fascinating to hear Demoustier, Duris and Ozon expounding on this charming, reflective film.
