Peter von Kant is a 2022 French comedy drama film written and directed by François Ozon. It is a loose adaptation of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's play The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, which he adapted into a film in 1972, but here with the protagonist's gender changed. It is Ozon's second cinematic outing of a Fassbinder play after Water Drops on Burning Rocks (2000).
The film premiered in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival as its opening film on 10 February 2022.
Plot
In the 1970s in Cologne, Peter von Kant is a filmmaker in his 40s who is experiencing growing success. Having gone through a difficult love affair, he now lives with his assistant Karl, who is totally devoted to him despite being mistreated.
Through Sidonie, a famous actress whose career he had once launched, he meets the young and handsome North African actor Amir. Quickly falling in love with him, Peter takes him under his wing and fast-tracks their relationship, quickly casting him in his new film's lead role. Amir drives Peter wild with jealousy, leading to a series of shouting matches and cruel power plays. Ultimately, the couple hits their breaking point, and Amir returns to his wife, resulting in a dramatic and emotional finale.
Cast
Denis Ménochet as Peter von Kant
Isabelle Adjani as Sidonie
Khalil Gharbia as Amir
Hanna Schygulla as Rosemarie
Stéfan Crépon as Karl
Aminthe Audiard as Gabrielle
Production
Filming began in March 2021.
Release
In March 2022, Strand Releasing acquired the US rights to the film.
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76%, based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's consensus reads, "Peter von Kant finds François Ozon making a nervy attempt to build on a Fassbinder classic -- and succeeding more often than he fails." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".