Review: Jules and Jim (1962)

* * * *
Director: Francois Truffaut
Starring: Jeanne Moreau, Oskar Werner, Henri Serre

As one of the seminal films of one of the most analysed, written about, and influential film movements of the 20th century, Francois Truffaut's Jules and Jim is a film which should, at this point, have a blunted impact on the first time viewer. Yet, though Jules and Jim has been written about countless times and influenced numerous films and filmmakers over the past 52 years, it still has the power to surprise, delight, and move the first time viewer. When a film makes it onto as many "Best Movies" lists as this one has, it can start to seem more like a movie that's "good for you" rather than good to watch, but a truly great film is capable of transcending all that outside noise to leave the viewer feeling engrossed in its story and Jules and Jim is definitely one of those movies.

Review: Day for Night (1973)

* * * *Director: Francois Truffaut
Starring: Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Valentina Cortese, Francois Truffaut

What can you say about Francois Truffaut that hasn't already been said? He's one of the key filmmakers from one of the most (if not the most) important and influential film movements of all time, and his films have been analyzed to death. All you can really do with his best films at this point is confirm their greatness. So it is with Day for Night, his only film to win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film, and one of his most beloved.

Review: Mississippi Mermaid (1969)

* * * 1/2
Director: Francois Truffaut
Starring: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Catherine Deneuve

Mississippi Mermaid in three words: Truffaut does Hitchcock. If that isn’t enough to pique your interest, I’ll also add that it stars two icons of French cinema: Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Belmondo. Still not intrigued? What if I told you that it was the inspiration for 2001’s Original Sin, starring Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie... actually, forget that last one. That’s probably not helping my case at all.