Hailed as a masterpiece by critics this film is an average coming of age drama, and a reasonable foray into foreign cinema for those not used to subtitled films. It is charming enough, although seems for the most part to have all the emotional impact of a haddock. The central character, Doinel, is played well, and is likeable, but hardly a master criminal, and certainly doesn't descend into the life of violence the tag-lines would have you believe. Good acting, stylish direction and likeable characters aren't enough to classify this as a masterpiece though. As coming of age dramas go, this is hardly groundbreaking. I didn't dislike the film, it simply failed to grab me. I sympathised with Doinel, and found him to be an enjoyable character, although his story seemed to fumble along with very little meaning or direction. If you are looking for groundbreaking, Los Olvidados is more "punchy", and states its case far better. Not being from France in the late 50's it is difficult to say exactly how realistic this is, though I am guessing it is pretty accurate for the time. It's certainly worth checking out, but ultimately it is overhyped, and falls short of the expectation one is given. All in all, an enjoyable, if unremarkable story, that is charming enough in it's own way, with an above average cast, though it is ultimately, somewhat forgettable.
Review of The 400 Blows
