I'm working my way through Truffaut's entire filmography. I figure I'd kill two birds with one stone and buy the DVD of "Small Change" as a birthday gift for a 60 year old french woman. She's a big film fan but kind of senile, so I figure I can steal back the DVD from her and watch it myself.
Anyway, my question basically is whether this film would appeal to a 60 year old French woman and whether it's as good as Truffaut's own "The Wild Child"?
At it's time, 'Small Change' was considered among Truffaut's finest films though it's almost forgotten today, it's one of his very best later films and yes it's as great as 'The Wild Child'(in my view) but it has to be seen for Truffaut's subtle yet effective use of colour and strong camerawork, there's one tracking shot near the end that never fails to dazzle me and there's an hilarious use of film-within-a-film that has to be seen to be believed, I won' spoilt it for you though.
How much is a good nights sleep worth?
Thanks alot. The last Truffaut film I saw was Farenheit 451 which I thought was terrible. But Small Change looks like it has the childhood poignancy of 400 Blows and The Wild Child.
Have you seen any of his last three films: Confidentially Yours, The Woman Next Door or The Last Metro?
I've seen 'Confidentially Yours' which is frankly not good. Truffaut's attempts at homaging Hitchcock(with exceptions of 'The Bride Wore Black') were among his weakest films. I haven't seen 'Shoot the Piano Player!' which is supposed to be an exception to the rule but otherwise Truffaut and 'thriller' were never great marriages.
How much is a good nights sleep worth?
Shoot the Piano Player was alright, I wouldn't say it's as great as his other stuff. And yet Truffaut was a huge Hitchcock fan, so you'd think he'd know the ins and the outs of the genre. I think he's too much of a human director to convincingly pull off a really mean thriller. Like Scorsese, you get the feeling that Truffaut favours a sort of documentary approach to film-making, his best films catching these fleeting glipses of realism.
I haven't seen any of Truffauts "Hitchcockian" thrillers, but I suspect it's the same sort of disaster as when Scorsese tried to do a thriller with Cape Fear. Truffaut and Scorsese are internal, character driven directors, who seem to be looking for the reality in every single story. Guy's like Hitchcock, in contrast, can tug you around solely with visuals. Imagine Hitchcock directing a gritty kids film like The Wild Child.
Well of Truffaut's thrillers that I've seen, 'The Bride Wore Black' is the most successful though not a great film by any stretch. Of course it helps that it as Jeanne Moreau. Tarantino's main storyline for 'Kill Bill' is lifted straight from this film. although ironically, I think he made an overall better film than this one.
'Shoot the Piano Player!' is generally considered to be among his finest films though. I'll definitely see it, but right now I'm more interestested in late Truffaut since that period has been no so neglected by most people who get into his films. The popular theory is that he stopped making great films at 'Jules and Jim' but films like 'Small Change', 'Day for Night', 'The Story of Adele H.' are breathtaking efforts. Right now, I'm trying to see 'Two English Girls' which is also considered among his best efforts.
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I haven't seen any of Truffauts "Hitchcockian" thrillers, but I suspect it's the same sort of disaster as when Scorsese tried to do a thriller with Cape Fear. Truffaut and Scorsese are internal, character driven directors, who seem to be looking for the reality in every single story. Guy's like Hitchcock, in contrast, can tug you around solely with visuals. Imagine Hitchcock directing a gritty kids film like The Wild Child.
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Is 'Cape Fear' a disaster? For what it's worth, it's fantastic. A very good thriller that's deliberately stylized and lurid and of course complete with numerous cinematic references. And in any case, Scorsese is more deft and capable in the thriller genres even though he's only made outright thrillers a couple of times.
How much is a good nights sleep worth?
For what one reviewer's opinion is worth here it is:
Truffaut's two best films:
1. Small Change
2. Day for Night
His next best:
3. Jules and Jim
4. Shoot the Piano Player
I haven't seen all of his films, but enough to know that these are probably most of his best works.
IMO anyone who loves cinema would enjoy Small Change, regardless their age (except for very young kids).
"Small Change" is one of the very best movies by Truffaut. Deeply human and sweet but at the same time it shows us how crude can be the childhood for the unlucky ones.
I'd say that Small Change is among Truffaut's Top 5, in a list where I'd also include The 400 Blows, Day for Night, Jules et Jim and Stolen Kisses.
"Jules and Jim," "The 400 Blows" and "The Wild Child" are great movies. "Small Change," "Shoot the Piano Player" and "Day for Night" are very good movies.
Just my opinion.