It definitely feels like The 400 Blows of Quebec film, with the (somewhat) naturalist look, coming-of-age story, and final freeze-frame shot, but, in some ways, it's a lot more interesting than Truffaut's film (though not as skillfully made). The narrative is deceptively simple, as there's actually a lot more going on than the apparently conventional story would indicate. The early, unfocused scenes convey this, as they concentrate on a character who only makes sporadic appearances throughout, only to return at the end of the film to complete the circular narrative.. The seemingly idyllic life of small-town Quebec is portrayed perfectly in the first half of the film, but as Benoit, the protagonist, matures, the dark underbelly is gradually revealed until we have a full-blown tragedy on our hands. This slow shift is enhanced by the short surrealist snippets in the second half, most notably Benoit's erotically charged dream. It is a film first and foremost about growing up in Quebec, and though it may appear plain and bland to some, I found it refreshingly simple in its story and surprisingly somber in its themes. A real treat for fans of French New Wave, Quebec film, or just cinema in general.

At the beginning I was a bit shaky on the film, the first act seemingly focuses on random things in Benoit's family and town and kind of wanders about choppily from storyline to storyline, although I can understand it's purpose in establishing the characters. However once the plot kicks in and the film gets darker and enters the zone of Benoit and Antoine accepting death what not, it starts to stick and the movie becomes really... really beautiful. I particularly enjoyed the use of the moving camera here, from the father riding in the train to the sleigh-ride at night or in the storm, to moving through the streets of the town with that great score. There's also some fabulous close-ups throughout and as mentioned, the dream sequence near the end is pretty neat.

The story is pretty simple or average though, and a lot of the coming of age bits(particulary in the first half with the girl) have been seen before. However it's still interesting in the first half if only for being a portrait of a long gone type of youth. The curiosity, unknowingness, and innocence that Benoit and Carmen have here is gone and lost with the introduction of the electronic age. We grow up in front of and by the tv and computer now... We will never see this again.

The acting is all pretty good/great(with the exception of Jutra himself), and the dialogue remains sharp. But I dunno if I really really loved it. I think the story just didn't do enough for me. It's pretty good and worth a watch, though.

3.5/5

Oh, and I watched this with my mom, and was bewildered when she told me my Grandpa worked in the building next to and was best friends with the son of the man Antoine is based on(from what I know this all actually happened), and that she herself went to school with Jacques Gagnon, the kid who played Benoit, and was around when they were doing casting/he got casted. The town the film is set in, Black Lake, is also just a few miles out of the town she lived in, Tetford Mines. It's a smalllll fucking world.

Nice.

You should definitely check out The 400 Blows, because that's likely where Jutra got a lot of his inspiration from, and also Les Ordres, if you want more great Quebec film of the time.