The Worst Film Ever

How sad is this?

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

It appears I've walked straight into the middle of a series, not knowing beforehand this was a sequel to Stolen Kisses, which I haven't yet seen. A pity, but in the spirit of Antoine Doinel, I shall accept this misfortune nonchalantly! For about two thirds its runtime Bed and Board is very enjoyable, full of charming characters saying humorous and delightful things. Little moments of relationship interplay are handled with the deftest touch by Truffaut, the acting is first class, and the small Parisian courtyard and surrounding apartments come alive. Unfortunately the film takes an all too simple turn, as Antoine cheats on his wife with an Asian woman, and much of the good grace it has earnt to that point dissipates. To close with a shot of Antoine and Christine's life mimicking the older couple they live alongside was clever storytelling, but wrapped in a very cynical moral. A masterpiece would have had something more brilliant to say.

And who could imagine that Antoine Doinel, the misunderstood and agitated character played by Jean-Pierre Léaud in "The 400 Blows" would succeed it in life? Now he's married with Christine (Claude Jade), has a strange work, first selling flowers, then controlling little boats by remote control, father of a pretty boy and life goes on with some up's and down's after a little romance with a Japanese girl. Doinel's story in "Domicile Conjugal" ("Bed & Board") is presented as a sweet and funny tale barely remembering the confuse boy of the film released in 1959. But there are moments when the audience is reminded of the young Antoine and his problems with his parents and problems with school (when he decides that his son will be a writer and that he won't have lessons at school, cause of many of the problems of Doniel).Truffaut's makes his most funniest film here, a humor that is not created with absurd or a slapstick comedy but it is simply a day-by-day of Doniel's presented with charm, humor, originality in memorable moments (Doniel's strange friend who always asks money of him saying that he'll pay in double; or Doniel's breaking the wall of his apartment to make a room for his child; and some conversations between the couple about male nudity and the breasts of Christine, which according to Antoine are different to each other). It takes common and ordinary situations of everyone's lives and makes of it something beautiful, delightful and pleasant to see. And the two main actors are marvelous on screen, have a electrifying chemistry and brilliant performances.A perfect work and a movie of the highest quality, "Bed & Board" is one of those films that you wanna watch it more than just one time. 10/10

Truffaut's Antoine Doinel avatar returns in a cute movie about a young man newly experiencing marital bliss. This means, of course, that arguments are to be had, babies to be birthed, and infidelity to be explored. Now of course I wouldn't mind a beautiful Japanese woman either, but I'm not married and this turn of events was rather predictable. Nevertheless, it's all romance and good cheer as Doinel slowly learns that he really does love his wife and no other, and grows more and more frustrated with the other woman who expects too much of him. At least it's not Fatal Attraction, but a strange Jan Svankmajer-like flower decomposing scene, followed by a campy reveal, makes the movie a little bit more interesting than your typical domestic drama.Though, to be perfectly honest, I prefer the 400 Blows. Nevertheless! Francophiles will have a lot of fun watching the small urban community that satellites the action, and Truffaut's direction and cinematography is gorgeous in its own right. Just don't expect anything profound in this comedy about a moody young Frenchman feeling a little confused (haven't seen that before, aye?).--PolarisDiB

This is the fourth and penultimate film in Truffaut's semi-autobiographical series about the life of Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud). The movie depicts Doinel in the early years of marriage to his childhood sweetheart Christine Darbon (Claude Jade). The picture begins showing Antoine trying to scrape a living selling dyed flowers in the busy Parisian courtyard while his wife teaches violin in the apartment above. If this film was a novel you could rip half the pages out to represent the amount of storyline in the picture. But this does not take away anything from this piece of cinematic magic. Truffauts use of the camera and soundtrack is as usual the making of the film.It is obvious that this film is a one-man creation. How many filmmakers could you say that of today? The balance of characters, incidents and minute side glance at daily living restores your faith that art and craftmanship is making a tender comment on life can make a deep one too. The couple soon become parents and Antoine lands, by pure chance, an unprestigious job in a prestigious American construction company. But Domestic bliss soon tires our hero and he is tempted to the bed of a statuesque Japenese girl. The story is told with Truffauts usual wit and charm and filled with affectionate homages to filmmakers from Jean Renoir to Jaques Tati.