Truffaut’s alter ego finds love after being dishonourably discharged from the army in Paris in the late 60s. Many critics have written love letters about this film, which I don’t think it deserves – it is sweet and charming and all that and has a wistful atmosphere, but it is episodic and sort of ambles along. There isn’t a real plot apart from the hero going to work at a detective agency.
I think maybe because it’s about a nerd who does pretty good with women all things considered (he gets the girl and she’s gorgeous and also gets to bang his boss’ hot wife and one of his co-workers wants to have it off with him) and most film critics are nerds.
I do have to say I enjoyed the film more as it went along. Claudette Jane is enchanting as the girl, who tries to avoid Antoine except when he’s off chasing someone else whereupon she chases him. But the best performance is from later Bond villain Michael Lonsdale as the boss who wants to know why everyone hates him – this is a great character.
I guess it’s French in that the hero, even though he doesn’t have much money and is mooning over these women, still has funds and the time to have sex with hookers. The lead actor achieves the difficult task of making the lead character likeable.
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