Antoine Doinel has grown up, been kicked out of the army (where he's still reading Balzac) and becomes a hotel night porter then a private detective, whilst intermittently wooing Claude Jade and shoe shop boss Michael Lonsdale's wife, Delphine Seyrig. (There's also a comedy show version of Marienbad in the film's sequel.) Making much use of Sacré-Coeur and Montmartre.
Written by Truffaut and Claude de Givray. Photographed by Denys Clerval, edited by Agnès Guillemot (many Godards and Truffauts, her career ended with the controversial Romance by Catherine Breillat); with distinctive music by Antoine Duhamel.
A bouncy, effervescent film with many quiddities, such as the mysterious stalker, the underground Paris postal system, Léaud's monologue into the mirror, and the private detective firm's clearly gay client.
Cast also features Harry-Max (detective), André Falcon (his boss), Daniel Seccaldi (Claude's dad) and Marie France Pisier, as Colette, the good-looking ex Doinel bumps into from the previous instalment Antoine et Colette (1962 short).
Dedicated to Henri Langois, president of the Cinémathèque Français who had been sacked from his position but reinstated after protests instigated by Truffaut and supported by students and the international film community. The importance of this institution to the young nouvelle vague is well captured in Bertolucci's otherwise distasteful The Dreamers.
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