François Truffaut is indisputably one of the greatest directors to ever live. The problem is that many times Truffaut tried to make other people's films. A devout lover of Alfred Hitchcock and film noir, Truffaut made a large number of genre films that fell flat. Films like The Bride Wore Black (1968), The Story of Adele H. (1975), and Confidentially Yours (1983) were embarrassing blemishes on the record of one of the fathers of the French New Wave. Truffaut was at his best when he directed his focus squarely on a small group of characters. He was a master at capturing little moments and invading the secret universes of curious children and weary adults. His film Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me surprisingly broke free of this mold. It focused on the larger-than-life exploits of suspected murderess Camille Bliss. This Camille character fascinated me. She was a whirlwind of freedom and death, a kind of grown up version of Queneau's Zazie. While she claimed no responsibility, the people who fell in love her frequently experienced premature deaths of a most gruesome manner. Locked in prison, she recounted her story to Stanislas Previne, a young sociologist who wanted to research her for his thesis. Alas, Camille managed to infect Stanislas' mind so that he fell in love with her and figured out a way to get her out of prison. One can only behold Camille in stunned awe. No matter what her situation, she managed to come out on top. Full of the energy, spirit, and enthusiasm of Truffaut's earlier works, Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me managed to be a crime film that didn't seem like a cheap carbon copy of Hollywood genre fair.
7/10
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