For the young Louis Malle, cinema was about photography and fate. The Lovers reunites him with Jeanne Moreau and cinematographer Henri Decaë.

Perhaps the only thing cooler than the Miles Davis soundtrack for Elevator to the Gallows would have been the manipulation of silence – and Malle uses silence, with very particular sounds, to great effect.

The film feels both young and masterful. It’s altogether exquisite.

Grade: A

The Lovers is currently available.