Review by aprilzh

Maurice Pialat is the French John Cassavetes, and this film is his masterpiece. It feels totally real from the very beginning all the way up until the end. Don't be fooled by the title; it pulls no punches, showing the harsh realities of adolescent life and what it meant to grow up in a certain time and place. We feel what the characters feel, and we see the unadulterated truth in what they are going through. It is my understanding that certain scenes were unscripted, and that really shows. This is a very powerful story, told in an extremely effective way that would not have worked if it had been made at a different time or place, or by a different director.