For those who miss the floundering familiarities of a Woody Allen film but for moral reasons won’t bring themselves to support the controversial filmmaker, Azazel Jacobs’ French Exit attempts to quench that desire. If offbeat, quirky capers spearheaded by a strong female protagonist excite you, then know that there are plenty to be found in this Michelle Pfeiffer-Lucas Hedges two-hander. However, if you’re looking for a film with substance that will provide either laughs or thought-provoking moments, you may find yourself, like me, disappointed.

Based on the book of the same name by Patrick DeWitt, French Exit is a high society satire about Frances (Michelle Pfeiffer), a narcissistic woman who decides to flee the country 12 years after the death of her husband and, perhaps not coincidentally, the sudden end of her marital inheritance. Taking her apathetic son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges) and their cat Small Frank with her, they board a cruise ship from New York City to Paris to start over, no strings attached.

However, strings are aplenty as Frances and Malcolm arrive and face their new reality. In their varying depressed states, Frances and Malcolm acquire a hodgepodge cast of characters who end up living with them in their borrowed apartment, including a mindreader from the ship (Danielle Macdonald), a family friend (Valerie Mahaffey), Malcolm’s ex-girlfriend (Imogen Poots), and more. As if their situation wasn’t unconventional enough, Frances begins communicating with Small Frank via late-night séances, as she believes the soul of her dead husband (Tracy Letts) is embedded in the cat.

Is this a dark comedy, an oddball mid-life crisis drama, or all of the above?

French Exit has a cold shell and scattered tone that is hard to crack, which most likely is attributed to the shaky translation from book to screen. It isn’t until about halfway through when Frances explains the reason why the cat is so important (hint: reincarnation) that we re-evaluate the type of film we think this is. Is this a dark comedy, an oddball mid-life crisis drama, or all of the above? This film floats in genre purgatory; it’s not silly enough to crack a smile, nor is it vulnerable enough to feel connected to and sympathize with the characters. Despite its shortcomings, there is no doubt that French Exit should be acknowledged for its stellar lead performance from Pfeiffer (who earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress Musical or Comedy for this role).

Genre-fluid and experimental, French Exit is a subversive film that gives its actors a platform to shine on, and us wanderlusters an appreciated glimpse of Paris from our TV screens. It also left me wondering if Lucas Hedges has invested in the cruise industry yet, as this is his second consecutive film in which he’s traveled from NYC by boat (Let Them All Talk being the other). Just a thought.

Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, French Exit opens at the Vineland Drive-In this Friday, February 12, 2021.