One of the most fascinating details when discussing the French New Wave is that, despite being mostly known for their work during this brief but highly influential period, many of the most influential directors continued to make films well into the 21st century, which often deviated from the foundation set during their earlier career, but still showcased their remarkable talents. Alain Resnais was unquestionably one of the most important filmmakers of the entire movement, and many of his films remain cherished classics that have inspired and motivated countless artists to pursue their work, especially since his style of storytelling was radically different, while still being profoundly personal and aligned with his artistic sensibilities. He was also one of the last remaining filmmakers from the period to stay active, with most either passing away in the subsequent years or retiring altogether. Renais never quite stopped working until his death, which is why he was one of the more prolific directors, which is impressive considering how he continued to make exceptional films well into his old age. His final work is Life of Riley (French: Aimer, boire et chanter), in which he collaborates with screenwriters Laurent Herbiet and Jean-Marie Besset to adapt the play of the same title by Alan Ayckbourn, which tells the story of six individuals dealing with the imminent death (and eventual demise) of a close friend in the months following a dreadful diagnosis. Bitingly funny with a sense of extraordinary melancholy embedded deep within it, the film sees Resnais once again challenging the audience to think more deeply about certain concepts, which he weaves together with extraordinary complexity and profound intelligence, both traits carried over from his earliest days as a rambunctious young filmmaker. Life of Riley may not be his most extravagant or complex film, but it is one with an abundance of heart and soul, much more than we may normally expect from such a production, and just further proves his exceptional prowess, even when working through the final stages of his life.

The quality that made Resnais’ work so exceptional is the fact that despite maturing and becoming a much more respected artist (and arguably one of French cinema’s most acclaimed and cherished filmmakers), he never lost that spark that set the foundation for his storied career. There is a sense of artistic urgency that underpins every one of his films, and while it may seem quite minor in terms of scope and subject matter, Life of Riley is as captivating and enduring as anything else that Resnais made throughout his career, with this one having the additional benefit of being one of his more self-reflective works. It isn’t clear whether he intended this to be his final film, or if he approached it like everything else he made, but it is certainly difficult to ignore the fact that this story centres on a group of people discussing the concept of death, both how it is life’s most intimidating inevitability, as well as the process of grieving those who are very close to it, which is sometimes quite a difficult experience, often much more than the process of mourning them after their demise. The character of Riley doesn’t appear (many have drawn correlations between this character and the titular figure in Waiting for Godot, both deeply philosophical comedies that use unseen figures as allegories for many fascinating and provocative themes), but his presence lingers over the film in ways that are unique, and there is even an argument that Resnais himself is playing the part of Riley, his presence looming heavily over every frame of the film, but we never see him, despite his direction being fundamental to the story. Perhaps this is reading too heavily into the film, especially since his intentions were not entirely clear (and as he passed only a month after the film premiered, we can’t know exactly what he intended to do with this story on a meta-textual level), but it is certainly not difficult to see why this kind of story would resonate with him, as well as how it has been reconfigured to almost appear as a parting note from a director meditating on his mortality through the guise of a film centred on death, albeit in a far more pleasant and darkly comical manner.

One of the key components that make Life of Riley so intriguing is its appearance, with the film taking the form of a stage play, which is both a reference to the origins of the story, as well as Resnais’ penchant for playfulness and his fascination with the theatre. For many, this may present something of a barrier between fully embracing the film, since it is inarguably a work that requires us to be willing to take the leap into the unknown and surrender to the peculiar aspects of the story, and can thus be considered something of an acquired taste, purely because of how it doesn’t adhere to conventions. However, for those who can get onto the film’s wavelength, Life of Riley is a delight, since it offers us something so incredibly different, it is objectively difficult not to be thoroughly moved by the film as a whole, both emotionally and artistically. Filmed on a set, and designed to be simple but evocative (with the use of colourful curtains and the sparse set decoration being particularly notable), the film relishes in the artifice that many filmmakers would normally reject, but which Resnais openly embraces, making a spectacle out of the inauthenticity, a decision that takes a lot of courage and artistic prowess to execute with such precision and brilliance. However, the use of a more sparse visual style does not at all disqualify this film from being an absolute triumph in both form and content – after all, its ideas are universal enough that they could be performed anywhere, without any resources at the actors’ disposal. However, the more subdued production allows Resnais to highlight the primary themes that sit at the heart of the original play, which is focused on the human condition, as filtered through the perspective of a sextet of unique characters as they process new information that could potentially change their life. The stage-based approach to the film is fascinating – it’s an experimental use of space and colour, and as someone whose directorial career existed at the perfect intersection of narrative and visual prowess, the material is in safe hands with Resnais, who ensures that every aspect is perfectly reflected on screen.

Part of the theatrical approach to Life of Riley comes in the fact that this is very much an actor’s text – Resnais is a masterful director, and he does well with the material, but this is ultimately a work that can only survive with the right interpretation in terms of the actors tasked with bringing these characters to life. In this regard, we have an ensemble consisting of six of the most talented actors working in both French film and theatre, which makes them remarkable candidates for this text, since they are entirely accustomed to the demands expected of them as performers. It is also impossible to choose a standout since the cast of six – which includes Sabine Azéma and Hippolyte Girardot (the middle-class hedonists who yearn for the life of the elite), Caroline Silhol and Michel Vuillermoz (as the upper-crust older married couple that is tired of being a part of the inauthentic high society) and Sandrine Kiberlain and André Dussollier (as they working-class couple who had the closest connection to the titular figure) – is so perfectly in sync with one another, there isn’t any moment where one is stronger than the other (although we will all find our eye is drawn to one of them, based on how much we can relate to their personality and reaction to the events of the story), and they exist in a form of artistic symbiosis. There is a delightful symmetry in how this film uses its characters – as mentioned above, they each represent a different rung of the proverbial social ladder, which is then cross-referenced with their wildly different temperaments and manner of living, which is a source of both a lot of the humour that drives the film, as well as the smaller details that keep it all afloat and engaging, which is quite an achievement. The cast is small, but as a result, every one of them is gives something of value to do, and it feels perfectly appropriate to consider Life of Riley to have one of the most compelling ensembles of the past decade, a fact that is easy to understand once you have been in the throes of artistic passion with these actors, who put in every bit of effort to infuse these characters with so much nuance and inner complexity.

As a whole, Life of Riley is not going to appeal to everyone, which seems to be an undeniable fact, even amongst those who are wholeheartedly enamoured with this film and everything that it represents. It is a work of creative, provocative fiction that is mostly worth our time based on it being the final film made by one of the greatest cinematic artists of his generation, who is bidding adieu to the medium he adores and the audiences that supported his often bewildering but very compelling artistic endeavours over the decades. In both intention and delivery, the film is an absolute triumph – filled with memorable details and told with an abundance of wit and pathos (which work together in tandem to create this melancholy comedy), we are constantly under the spell of the director, who makes sure absolutely every scene is worth our time, especially with material as dense as we find here. However, so much of Life of Riley depends on our willingness to take a chance on the film, which may not be able to offer us much at the start, but certainly does enough to hold our attention, keeping us engaged and interested. The perfect blend of melodrama, comedy-of-manners and existential drama, the film is a powerful and poignant piece of cinema that offers us exactly what we expect, as well as much more than any of us, could have potentially have imagined possible, which is all part of the unquestionable appeal of this film, which is as insightful as it is funny. Stylistically, it is a marvel – it manages to be resourceful, turning its paltry and restrictive setting into an artistically resonant landscape in which the story takes place, and the characters that populate this world are fascinating, brought to life by a terrific cast that knows precisely how to handle everything that is being thrown at them, regardless of the material with which they are asked to work. Funny but heartwarming and thought-provoking, Life of Riley is a remarkable film, and one of the very best works produced by Resnais, who proves that even when making his swan song, he was capable of such extraordinary talent and interminable insight, all of which makes it very clear why he was one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation.