It’s been made with enough brio and confidence to drag a chaos-tolerant viewer along for the ride. You want to relent to its winding navigation as fully as the director himself has surrendered the wheel to his muse. -- Grade: B

3 stars out of 4 -- ISMAEL'S GHOSTS is about things that are missing, whether it’s a lost love or a creative idea perilously out of one’s reach due to writer’s block.

[The] densely layered screenplay is a treasure trove of references to themes and even types of characters from some of the great classics and Desplechin’s own films...

Cotillard exudes an eerie detachment, while Gainsbourg radiates a casual warmth....[Almaric delivers] an incisive performance that imbues his subtlest gestures with searing turmoil.

3.5 stars out of 4 -- [Y]ou need to embrace the chaos of his story about the past never being done with us and let it work its messy magic on you....The end result -- a sort of melodramatic free-for-all shot out of cannon that inspires a sense of cinematic euphoria -- is completely worth it.

[F]or Carlotta, Ms. Cotillard sometimes plays her with confounding, slow-motion swagger. The actress also has instantaneous access to the character’s affecting vulnerability.