In Providence, the track and the images operate in two different realms, leaving a dead space between.

Providence is a lot of fuss and fake feathers about nothing.

The superb performances and Miklos Rozsa's sumptuous Hollywood-style score give the film's conceit a moving monumentality and depth, and Resnais' insights into the fiction-making process are mesmerizing and beautiful.

Occasionally amusing, but ultimately predictable.