I just watched 'Moi, Cesar, 10ans 1/2, 1m 39. Elle magazine (French edition) touts it as "The 400 Blows for the Noughties". It really isn't fair to make such a comparison, as for many, that would make this new film fail to deliver, when it is a great, powerful, film in its own right. Yes, both films set out to tell the truth of childhood in their time, but where The 400 Hundred Blows tells you about what could happen and does happen to one child, Moi, Cesar depicts a broader range of the variables of childhood, and is less claustrophobic for doing so. It also has lighter moments that make you remember your own childhood with a wry grin. The central trio of actors are first rate, and Jules Sitruk captures perfectly the awkwardness of growing up the fat kid in school.
