Vague Visages’ Whenever I’m Alone with You review contains minor spoilers. Guillaume Campanacci and Vesper Egon’s 2023 movie features themselves in the lead roles. Check out the VV home page for more film reviews, along with cast/character summaries, streaming guides and complete soundtrack song listings.

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Bold and provocative, Whenever I’m Alone with You is a major improvement upon filmmaker Guillaume Campanacci’s 2014 feature debut, Devils in Disguise. The 91-minute biographical dramedy — co-written and co-directed by co-star Vesper Egon — channels the spirit of French New Wave flicks while leaning heavily on its modern and sexy vibe; a companion piece to Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers (2024). Starring the almost too-handsome Campanacci as a suave and suicidal Frenchman searching for an ideal partner, Whenever I’m Alone with You often feels pretentious, albeit in the best way possible.

Whenever I’m Alone with You begins strong with a wink-of-the-eye warning from Guillaume — a former engineer from Cannes — about his creative intentions and the film’s anti-romantic comedy premise. Stylized with Jean-Luc Godard-like graphics, the introductory sequence taps into the eroticism of an Alain Robbe-Grillet thriller as the leads get busy during a pink-lit bathroom scene. A throbbing score establishes somewhat of a music video vibe, much like the aforementioned Challengers, as Guillaume embarks on a sexual and spiritual journey with the glamorous Vedrana (Egon) — a feminist and Rafael Nadal fan from Sarajevo. The narrative plays out like one of Godard’s 1960s collaborations with his muse, Anna Karina, as the protagonists build a life together before receiving a big surprise from Guillaume’s ex-girlfriend, forcing the male protagonist to make some crucial decisions about his future.

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Both Campanacci and Egon embrace their movie stars looks in Whenever I’m Alone with You, rather than pretending like they’re just a normal movie couple. Guillaume stares admiringly at pictures of French cinema icon Alain Delon (whose sexual appeal — along with his talent — made him an international star during the 60s and 70s), whereas Egon sits nude in a bathtub, unafraid to challenge her onscreen partner’s big opinions while establishing herself as an equal. The supporting characters in Whenever I’m Alone with You mostly stay on the sidelines, which is fine given the leads’ charisma and willingness to risk it all from scene to scene. Campanacci, 10 years after giving himself a supporting yet minor role in his debut directorial feature, takes full advantage of his screen time as he muses about bad literature, just like Jean-Pierre Léaud’s Antoine Doinel in François Truffaut’s 1959 French New classic The 400 Blows (Les quatre cents coups), all the while reminding viewers of his Delon-like energy. Overall, the writer-directors subvert expectations for a typical dramedy, even though the cinematic homages become a bit too much by the end. Still, Whenever I’m Alone with You is a wonderful and entertaining “dance” between two artists with few fucks to give.

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Whenever I’m Alone with You ultimately reveals itself to be a unique coming-of-age film, as Guillaume must choose between a playboy lifestyle or a life of passion with Vedrana. And plot isn’t necessarily that important in a movie like this, as it’s more about the journey of it all, and how the leads reach their respective epiphanies. In that sense, the filmmakers rely on a variety of aesthetic shifts, which at once spotlight their cinematic connection and movie star potential. However, given the 10-year break between Campanacci’s low-budget debut and his French New Wave-influenced sophomore film, one might wonder about his cinematic identity as a filmmaker. The rebellious nature of Whenever I’m Alone with You is indeed appealing, yet there’s not much depth to be found in the overall character sketches. So, it’s unclear if Campanacci wants to mimic Jean-Luc Godard and Alain Delon on the big screen or if he wants to explore new territory as a filmmaker. Whatever the case, Whenever I’m Alone with You is worth a watch.

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor.

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