Stolen Kisses (1968)

Review In A Nutshell:

Stolen Kisses is about a young man who was discharged from the army due to constantly being absent without permission, and has first taken up a job as a night watchmen before eventually delving into the profession of a private detective.

It was truly stupid of me to start off with this film, as I have found out after watching the film that this is the third film of a trilogy that started with The 400 Blows about the character, Antoine Doinel. This is the main reason why I felt kind of slightly detached with the character and not comprehensively understand the intentions that Truffaut was trying to push with this film. Luckily though, I still was able to enjoy this film as I found the protagonist and the adventures he goes on, to be highly fun and quirky. I loved watching him attempting to succeed in areas that are clearly not meant for him, and at the same time watch him becoming distracted by the women in his life, and how they affect his "career". The most interesting was definitely the relationship between him and Catherine, as they both don't seem to agree on their current feelings for one another that it becomes complicated to have things run smoothly for them. Truffaut doesn't romanticize the relationship though; he keeps it highly respectable but still retains that sense of quirkiness, which I also found in the previous film I have seen from the director, Jules and Jim. As I have said, the film's protagonist came off intriguing as Truffaut handled it in a very interesting way, and definitely someone I would love to explore more deeply.

One can justify that this film is a romantic comedy as those elements are definitely clear when watching this film, but I personally felt like there was more to it than just that. I felt that the film was trying to say something about "useless" men that have been ejected from the army, to show us how difficult it is to make a living for yourself and to feel incompetent to society, but it feels buried deep into the film that could be easily accessed if one has seen the two films that preceded this. The film also explores the idea of obsession, though not as dire as what Hitchcock presented in Vertigo, but in a comedic and slightly more realistic kind of way. I am not sure whether or not Truffaut was conscious when he has made the reference, but I do see some of the resemblance, then again this may just be me. Nevertheless, these themes don't interfere with the tone and style that Truffaut was going for, and can still be enjoyed at a superficial level.

The film's camera work was satisfying, creating that light and comedic mood that makes the film feel easily accessible and digestible. There were times, particularly during the shots that capture Antoine walking around the streets of Paris, where the filmmakers are trying to suggest that sense of monitoring; like as if someone is watching your every move. Even by the end of the film, a character who suddenly reveals he to be a watcher has shown us that one can't truly be safe. The film's score was quite pleasant to listen to, particularly the opening track as it creates this warm, sweet feeling that I haven't felt about in a song played during a film for a very long time. The orchestral score on the other hand plays out the same feelings in me as the opening track, light and sweet, doesn't try to play with your emotions but instead highlights the personality of the characters and the comedic tone of the film. One can't help but grin a

Fmovies: François Truffaut continues the story of Antoine Doinel, the alter ego of Jean-Pierre Léaud, 9 years after the groundbreaking THE 400 BLOWS (1959), the rebellious boy has reached the adolescence, still rebellious though, he is discharged from his military service for being unruly, the comic vibe is established from the very start by the juxtaposition of the dead-serious officer and a laughter-repressed Antoine, who turns out to be a street-smart young man in spite of a tough childhood, and his parents have been completely evacuated out of his life (without any explanation). The first place he visits is a whorehouse, then stops by his girlfriend Christine Darbon (Jade), but is told she is out on a ski vacation by her genial parents (Ceccaldi and Duhamel), but Truffaut slyly implies that there seems to be something else on Christine's agenda now.

Antoine finds a job as a night porter in a hotel in Paris, thanks to Christine's father's recommendation, a comely Christine visits him one night, she greets him on the new job and seems casually happy but not so enthusiastic. Soon he is fired for being an unwitting helper of a private detective Henri (Harry-Max), who instead introduces him to the new exciting line of business managed by Monsieur Blady (Falcon). Antoine starts his new vocation with great passion although his stalking skill is a far cry from professional. Truffaut's perspicacious insight of urban savvy is brought to the fore in this segment, mainly surrounding two cases, a subtle love triangle about a (closeted) man looking for his magician lover and a more detailed inside-job, where Antoine is assigned to undercover in a shoe shop owned by Georges Tabard (Lonsdale, a great scene-stealer), who wants the agency to find out why he is so disliked by everyone around him, but the irony is that during Georges' loquacious introduction of his background, the reason behind that is pretty crystal-clear. During the course, Antoine is hopelessly having a crush with Georges' wife Fabienne (Seyrig, enigmatic and fabulously seductive), the apotheosis of a woman's sheer perfection. He is torn between his unquenchable fascination to Fabienne and the on-and-off relationship with Christine, which extracts the most vehement outburst in the mirror scenes where Antoine's unfitting characteristic is pungently reflected, with the iterations of self-persuasion and self-boost, to no avail. Eventually after tasting the temptation, which costs him the second job, he reconciles with Christine in the cutesy chapter where he works as a TV repairman, but the uncertainty of his own feelings becomes more pronounced in the coda, where a stalker makes a wanton confession to Christine in the presence of Antoine, both dismiss at him on the spot, but think twice, it is the capriciousness of love and emotions that will certainly puzzle Antoine, and trigger every viewer, to discover what will happen to him and Christine later, aka. in BED & BOARD (1970), approximately after a two-years spell.

STOLEN KISSES is charming in its carefree tempo and disarming in its frankness about whimsical triviality, it is not a major or challenging piece of work from Truffaut, but still scintillates with the profundity of a intelligent life-observer, an obliging humorist and an inspiring filmmaker.

"Stolen Kisses" is about Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud, in an exquisite performance), part of a three-film cycle about this young man who is trying to figure out life, love, and where and with whom he belongs.

In the beginning of the film, Antoine is dishonorably discharged from the army and thus his job hunt begins. He's really not very good as a gift-wrapper, or as the night watchman at a hotel, or as a private detective. The detective job takes up most of the film. He is dispatched to work undercover in a shoe shop to find out why nobody likes the boss. He falls head over heels for the boss' stunningly beautiful wife Fabienne. We also see Antoine dealing with his on-again, off-again relationship with his girlfriend Christine, who wants him when he doesn't want her, and vice versa.

Accompanied by a beautiful music score and set in '60s Paris, "Stolen Kisses" is a whimsical, sometimes cynical film about different levels of love (often existing in one relationship), the search for self, and for loving the unattainable. The follow-up is "Bed and Board."

Stolen Kisses fmovies. For the role of Christine Darbon, Truffaut cast a nineteen-year-old actress, Claude Jade, who had impressed him in the stage play Enrico IV. Truffaut had been "completely taken by her beauty, her manners, her kindness, and her joie de vivre." Her polite upbringing and charismatic girl-next-door quality, as far as Truffaut was concerned, made Claude Jade perfect for the role of the pure-hearted Christine who would eventually win Antoine's heart.

As Christine, Claude Jade is as cute as a button and her scenes are often the most charming ones in the film. Her introductory scene, stepping out of the Parisian night appearing like an angel to wave shyly at Antoine through a glass wall, is a delight. Later, Christine attempts to guess Antoine's latest job, amusingly tossing out way-off-the-mark guesses like cab driver or water taster. It is a ticklish scene but also hints that Christine, as of yet, doesn't think so highly of Antoine's employable skills. By the film's end, Antoine has become a TV repairman. He has been holding a grudge against Christine, so she wins him back in a fetching manner. She calls his company for service even as she is removing a component from her TV. The company sends Antoine, who is then forced to stay for hours trying to fix an irreparable TV.

The best romantic scene in the film, however, is a quaint breakfast scene one morning in Christine's kitchen. Christine is busy teaching Antoine how to butter toast. Antoine, for his part, wishes to pose a question to her. Too embarrassed to express himself in words, he writes his question on a notepad instead and hands it to her. She immediately writes her reply and hands it back to him. They continue in this manner for a few more exchanges before Antoine withdraws a scissor from a nearby drawer and hangs it on Christine's ring finger. It is a touching and intimate moment between the two young lovers and communicates, without intrusive words, their affection for one another.

After being discharged from the army for insubordination, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud) visits his former girlfriend Christine Darbon (Claude Jade), and her father finds a temporary job of night watchman for Antoine in a hotel. The naive Antoine is deceived by a private eye in his first night shift, and fired on the next morning. The investigator invites the clumsy Antoine to work in his company, where he is assigned for some minor jobs, until he has to investigate why the owner of a shoes store, Mr. Georges Tabard (Michel Lonsdale), is detested by his employees. Meanwhile Antoine falls in love for the gorgeous Mrs. Fabienne Tabard (Delphine Seyrig).

"Baisers Volés" is a delightful romantic comedy of François Truffault. Using his alter-ego, Antoine Doinel, this movie pictures the romantic and very funny adventures of this character in Paris with prostitutes, with his girlfriend and with his married passion. The soundtrack, with song "Que reste-t-il de nos amours?" of Léo Chauliac, is simply wonderful. This classic story is still charming and not dated almost forty years later. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Beijos Roubados" ("Stolen Kisses")

There were three films in this series, beginning with the less well-known, but excellent "Soft Skin" -- a beautiful title in English, but even more beautiful in French. "Stolen Kisses" -- remembered now almost thirty years since I first saw it -- tops the others. "Bed and Board" is the third; amusing, even wise, in a way, but not nearly in the same league with either "Skin" or "Kisses."

This film is one of a handful which confirmed me as a life-long cinephile; first seen in my early twenties. It's Truffaut's happiest film, which might damn it to many people in a way, prevent it from being regarded as a great film. Who cares? It's tremendously amusing, the young actors are beautiful to watch (women may find other leading men more handsome than Leaud, but men won't other young ladies more beautiful than Claude Jade, to my mind). But -- even better -- this baby moves. It's lively and full of great, odd plot developments. It's easy to miss the sheer genius of the writing, the filming -- tremendous inventiveness is evident in both. This film led the way; it's as wild as some of Woody Allen's goofier earlier films, but without anywhere near the level of neuroticism. I could go on and on. I've seen it at least six or seven times. There's nothing else like it, truly. A few of Alan Rudolph's films begin to explore this vein a bit, but then they came much later. "Stolen Kisses" -- a beautiful film for young lovers to see, for a first date, perhaps, and for more mature lovers, too. For everybody, young and old. A perfect Valentines' Day film, but not mere fluff, either. There's Paris, women's shoes, detectives, lots of scheming, a triumph over shyness, lots of flirting, and plenty of stolen kisses, of many varieties, including a few to be kept and sealed away forever.