not rated ;149 minutes; in French with English subtitles; Directed by: Xavier Giannoli
Starring: Benjamin Voisin, Cécile de France, Vincent Lacoste
Adapted from one of Balzac’s greatest novels, Lost Illusions follows Lucien de Rubempré who arrives in Paris as an idealistic young poet determined to write a reputation-making novel. Instead, he finds himself swept into journalism, whose influence and reach is booming with the help of the printing press. Under the mentorship of a cynical editor, he agrees to write rave theater reviews for bribes, achieving material success at the expense of his conscience. Lost Illusions is a contemporary tale of corruption amidst an early form of "fake news".