A.K.A. Shoot the Pianist
One of my biggest cinematic blind spots is the French New Wave. I saw one or two of them in university, but not nearly enough to even pretend to have an understanding of the movement. So I decided to dip my toe in with Shoot the Piano Player, which I chose entirely due to its 81-minute runtime.
And I'm glad I did. There's something catchy and uninhibited about this movie, from the free-flowing storytelling to the unpredictable camera movements to the unique blend of genres. It's messy, but it's also playful and vivacious (which also contributes to this being a good introduction to New Wave), and doesn't have much interest in playing by the rules.
But while I liked the style, I was also pretty invested in the narrative. Part of that's thanks to the mix of upbeat and melancholy moods, but it was mostly because I was able to connect with the Charlie character. This guy's sensitive and shy and confused in ways I immediately related to, which I think caused the emotional beats to hit even harder.
Grade: A-
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