The Innocent

The Innocent is a 2022 French crime comedy film directed by Louis Garrel, from a screenplay by Garrel, Tanguy Viel and Naïla Guiguet. It stars Roschdy Zem, Anouk Grinberg, Noémie Merlant and Garrel. The film had its world premiere out of competition at the 75th Cannes Film Festival on 24 May 2022. It was released in France on 12 October 2022 by Ad Vitam Distribution. The film received a leading eleven nominations at the 48th César Awards, winning in two categories, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress for Merlant. Plot Sylvie, a prison theater teacher, meets and marries Michel, one of the prison inmates whom she teaches. Their union is not well-received by Sylvie's adult son, Abel, as Sylvie has been involved with prison inmates previously, which ended poorly on each occasion. Abel himself has a troubled past, harboring guilt over being the driver in a car accident where his wife, Maud, was killed. Upon Michel's release from prison, he and Sylvie plan to open a flower shop, using premises which Michel claims were provided to him by a friend as a business favor. Suspicious about Michel's motives given his criminal past, Abel recruits Clémence, his best friend and co-worker at the aquarium at which he works, to assist him in spying on Michel, but their initial attempts prove to be fruitless.