Stolen Kisses (1968)

Director: Francois Truffaut

 Previously I reviewed Antoine and Colette, the second film in Truffaut's Antoine Doinel series. This film here is the third. One of the first things that stands out in this film is the performance of Jean Pierre Leaud and how he has so perfectly evolved into the character of Antoine Doinel (or maybe the character evolved into him). His acting, plus Truffaut's writing and directing since the character is semi-autobiographical, all do so much to get across all the ticks and small characteristics that make Doinel who he is.

In this film Doinel is largely the same person he was in The 400 Blows and Antoine and Colette, but in a much more adult world. Once again Doinel is a guy who just can't find his place in society. The way he goes from job to job, and from young woman to old woman in the movie is proof of his inability to have a stable life. Doinel just can't find where he's supposed to go in society, and it's a theme that I believe many can sympathize with in some way. While there are many great comedic moments, ultimately the film is once again a tragedy in which we feel bad for Doinel and blame society for being so uninviting.

Grade: A-

Antoine and Colette (1962)

Director: Francois Truffaut

This is just a short 30-minute film which continues the story of Antoine Doinel who you may remember as the main character of Truffaut's first film, The 400 Blows. In this short film, we see Doinel as he experiences love for the first time. On its own, this film is not all that special, it's just really a well-made short film about a guy who falls in love with a girl who may or may not feel the same way, quite simple and nothing unique really. But seen in context with knowledge of The 400 Blows and Doinel's character, the movie takes on much more emotional resonance. It becomes a tragic love story of a kid who just keeps getting the short end of the straw, and because of that we really get invested in the character and sympathize with his troubled life. Doinel couldn't find his parents love, and now he can't find a woman's love.

Grade: B

Filmcap: The week of Oct 16-23

Vagabond, The Constant Gardener, and The Messenger are some of the movies reviewed this week. There's also a little bit of a World War II theme with Resnais' Night and Fog and Truffaut's The Last Metro, both French films coincidentally. In this post you can also find some words about how people view free spirited people, how we can avoid another Holocaust, and the different ways we all grieve. 

Filmcap: The week of Aug 21-28

Highlights from this week are "The Wackness" and the surprise of 2011, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." This week's post marks the start of the school year and with that, more movies every week. I usually have one new movie a week that I review for The Daily Evergreen, but this week I saw a film on a Sunday opposed to a Friday or Saturday and so "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is in this weeks post as opposed to last week. Included in the reviews are discussions on the paradox of a movie about how important books are, and the importance of authenticity in the effectiveness of a familiar story.