Don't know how I feel about the comparison with L'Eclisse, which is probably one of Antonioni's most experimental films. Given that his films are all about alienation and isolation, the existential crises of his characters, and a contemplation of the transience of life itself, they're not meant to be 'exciting' in any way... they would lose their poignant effect. Given how the director communicates primarily using a visual palette of landscapes and beautified environments (even if they're not something that would naturally be photographed, see: Red Desert) and how there's a certain abstract nature to his works (and meaning which sometimes eludes you on that first viewing), I suppose your reaction is quite understandable.
By contrast, Truffaut's approach, even with his visual flourishes, is much warmer, much kinder even if the content is bleak. He's hardly about alienating his audience and perhaps that's why his films are easier to digest... they certainly do allow you to escape in their fantasy worlds... the fourth wall is never broken, ala Godard, and the narrative is relatively clear-cut without too much of that visual ambiguity which pervades (and defines), for example, Antonioni's works. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, especially when it results in a picture as well-crafted and moving as Shoot The Piano Player.
Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.
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