esrosedotblog

YOUTH PANIC

Today's film was Francois Truffaut's

Baisers volés / Stolen Kisses (1968)

Antoine Doinel is less than honorably discharged from the army, still a misfit and rebel.

He returns to the life and "girlfriend" he left as well as a series of jobs he sort of falls into. How do you say hapless in French? Malchanceux. Unlucky person. Not quite but close.

Still, he is funny, smart and resourceful and great to watch as he pursues his "life's love" whilst dallying on the side.

The theme here is of young impetuous love but also how we can let impulses control our lives to the extent that our destiny is formed.

Doinel's patterns started in his youth of the 400 Blows.

This is a sharp knowing comedy with a great punch line. An undercurrent of sadness for what we see as a life pattern.

Great cinematography and direction. It is said that much of the dialogue is improvised. Hard to tell. The subtitles seemed pretty straightforward and the actors seem to know exactly what they are doing at all times. I tend not to believe this kind of story. The plot is quite tightly controlled to make the payoff payoff.

Needless to say but I will mention that Antoine Doinel is played by Jean-Pierre Leaüd as in all this Doinel series of five films.

This is a 5 out of Netflix5 by definition. I have seen the film several times and probably will again.

This is more because it is part of this series than the film itself which could stand alone as a solid 3 if you knew nothing about the context.

Labels: films