Il piccolo Nicolas e i suoi genitori

To be honest, this movie didn't appeal to me because I couldn't stand the sugary nostalgia of this old France. But the kid wanted to see it again, so I complied.

And I realized that my feeling was very wrong: the movie is a tender and accurate vision of the world through the children eyes. They see it in a way opposite to adults. Thus, it was a perfect movie for the kid and it brought me very old memories about my childhood.

The cast is terrific: Kad Merad as a father can show all his big heart. Among the kids, Clotaire was my favorite with his dreamy and dumb attitude. And it's funny because he could act for the son of the actress Cecile de France.

But, rather than a great movie, it is a great adaptation because we mustn't forget that it's actually a collection of illustrated stories. And I find that the opening credits, which look like strips are the best idea ever for any adaptation movie!

When you select this film to share with your family, you will get two things from it. First, you have selected a surprisingly fun film which can be enjoyed by everyone. Director Laurent Tirard has selected a group of adults and French school children who bring to life a most charming book entitled " Little Nicholas. " Secondly, it's the cute tale of a young school Boy named Nicholas (Maxime Godart), who's little life is perfect. His father (Kad Merad) and mother (Valérie Lemercier both love their son, but he is often confused by their squabbles. Upon learning his mother will soon be expecting another child, Nicholas mistakenly believes they will have to take him to the woods and leave him there. Encouraged by his school friends, Nicholas begins taking steps to either have his parents assassinated or kill his baby sister. The entire confusing scheme is set in motion while his parents are trying to make life better for their son. Including an incredible task given by the teacher to her students to create an essay on what the students would like to become when they grow up. A small wonderful story complete with incredible dramatic antics, social comedy and a dazzling display of child induced situations. Except for the French Dialog which is often translated wrong the movie is a delight for all. ****

I love the "Petit Nicholas" books and René Goscinny is a personal god of mine, so I was very sceptical about this film. Especially because it's not "real-life" rather than a cartoon, whereas Jean-Jacques Sempés illustrations were essential to the charme of the books. But then the reviews were good and I gave it a try.

If you look at Goscinny's humour, it's almost reactionary. There's the fat guy, the rich kid, the dimwit, the four-eyed squealer, the easily- ired father, the just-a-housewife mother. And they all translate well onto film. Goscinny's humour stems from letting those characters interact predictably but creatively and with perfect timing, and this movie's makers managed to closely reproduce Goscinny's genius.

It's funny and escapist -- nothing more. Childhood as it should be. Sempé himself said that he created the childhood for little Nick he never had for himself.

In a suburb in France, the boy Nicolas (Maxime Godart) does not know what he wants to be when he grows up since he is very happy with his mother (Valérie Lemercier), his father (Kad Merad) and his schoolmates. When his friend Joachim has a baby brother, Joachim tells to the other boys that his father had become very gentle with his mother. Then Joachim vanishes from school. Nicolas partially overhears the conversation of his parents about a dinner party for his father's boss and he misunderstands, believing that his mother is pregnant and his parents want to get rid of him. Nicolas tells his friends and they decide to hire a gangster to vanish with the baby, But they need to raise the money first.

"Le Petit Nicolas" is a delightful and refreshing entertainment, with a gang that recalls the characters of Quino's Mafalda without the political jokes. I have laughed a lot, but the dinner party and the visit of the minister of education to the class are among the funniest moments of this original comedy of errors. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Pequeno Nicolau" ("The Little Nicolau")

This movie is amazing. It is not often that I go to see a foreign movie, but people had told me how good this one was so I just went. And I do not regret it.

The actors all seem to fit perfectly for their part. I found it hard to imagine how they were any different in real life. One gets kind of nostalgic, seeing those children in their school uniforms. The story is just wonderful, and it is really, really humorous, the entire audience laughed throughout the movie. It is not that kind of funny in the way normal Adam Sandler and those Hollywood movies are. It has something more to it, it is not, well, hollow (cannot really describe it). The way the director has got this set up, to see the world the way a kid sees it, to look into what's going through their mind, this is all just wonderful. I walked out of there with a little smile on, I was all fuzzy after having laughed so much.

I would really like it if my town would start showing more foreign movies like this one.