Films du Carrosse/Artistes Associes. Director Francois Truffaut; Producer Marcel Bebert; Screenplay Francois Truffaut, Claude de Givray, Bernard Revon; Camera Denys Clerval; Editor Agnes Guillemot; Music Antoine Duhamel; Art Director Claude Pignot
Jean-Pierre Leaud
Delphine Seyrig
Claude Jade
Michel Lonsdale
Daniel Ceccaldi
Claire Duhamel
That timid, yet engaging, adolescent of The 400 Blows, played again by Jean-Pierre Leaud, is now in his 20s and cashiered out of the military. He comes home to a series of jobs that carry him through adventures that encompass his final winning of a childhood girlfriend (Claude Jade) as his wife, plus his first amorous adventure with the wife (Delphine Seyrig) of one of the men (Michel Lonsdale) he works for.
The slice-of-life pic also has neat slices of observation, tasteful presentation and easeful acting that avoid banality. Antoine Doinel (Leaud), the hero, shows a shrewdness, a harshness and even a hardheaded strength, if necessary, that balances his otherwise seemingly innocent, self-deprecating manner.
Seyrig has the knowing maturity, gentleness and yet demanding female desires that make her scenes highlights of this perceptive pic on a young man's coming-of-age. Leaud has romantic callowness, engaging directness and charm to give his character depth in spite of the film's reserved modesty.
Doinel's adventure as a private detective allow for a series of character vignettes that Francois Truffaut excels at. Especially arresting is the shoeshop boss' desire to know why people do not like him. Though he is a pompous, ruthless character, Lonsdale gives him a human aspect that makes him almost likable, as indeed are all the characters in this human comedy.
(Color) Available on VHS. Extract of a review from 1968. Running time: 90 MIN.
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