Film Slutch

“Francois Truffaut’s series of sketches on the general theme of the resilience of children turns out to be that rarity – a poetic comedy that’s really funny.”

“There are all of these threads, all of these people and story lines, but it also feels very free, as though we can join any character at any moment. There are some characters who have just one scene or just one moment, and then a few who kind of continue throughout the whole movie and have their own developing stories. But when they’re introduced, they’re all introduced in the same way, so you’re never sure who is going to turn out to be important and who’s making their only appearance. It’s very rare to introduce characters that way, yet it doesn’t feel like a stunt the way Truffaut does it. It feels very natural.”

The camera glides in and out of groups of people, focusing on one child and then another, cutting to a different classroom, its gaze sliding in and out of conversations and stolen glances. Nothing about the film seems fussy. The camera is where it is.