Antoine and Colette
This short is a largely autobiographical work, based on 17-year-old François Truffaut's infatuation with the unconventional beauty Liliane Litvin. Truffaut met Litvin at the Cinémathèque Française and quit his job as a welder and moved to Paris to be near her. Like Antoine, he took an apartment across the street from hers so that he could monitor her activities. However, she ultimately was not interested in him nor in any of his friends. (She had attracted attention from and .),Radio Singer II: [film ends] The youth of the world, They fall in love, From east to west from north to south, Like a red apple, They bite into life, Its juice overflows from their mouth, Kisses and heartaches, Meet and then part, Give me your hand - here - take my heart, It might end in pain, It might end in joy, Tender and cruel, Youth's dreams are many, As two by two, Down life's beck'ning road, They sing their way, In Love At Twenty,Featured in Love at Twenty (1962),Antoine and Colette (1962)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

This 30-minute short from Francois Truffaut was originally a part of the anthology film LOVE AT TWENTY but it got its own release since many considered it the stand out entry. It also serves as a sequel to THE 400 BLOWS as Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud) is now out of trouble, living and working and soon he finds himself falling for a woman named Colette (Marie-France Pisier). At first Antoine believes that the two are starting a good relationship but before long it's clear that the woman has a different mind set. I guess the simplest thing to say is that the ladies in France aren't much different than the ones in America when it comes to confusing a young man and breaking his heart. I really thought this was an extremely good film and a worthy follow-up to THE 400 BLOWS, which by many, not myself, think is the director's masterpiece. I really liked how Truffaut didn't just give us the same type of story and instead of the tense drama he treated us to quite a few sweet scenes that have a touch of bittersweetness to them. I think most adults watching this are going to realize what's going on with the "relationship" but the film also takes you back to the days of youth when being naive was just part of the game. Both Leaud and Pisier are excellent together and the two of them really shine in regards to their performances. The cinematography is excellent as you'd expect and there's no doubt that Truffaut handles the material with care.,