Le petit voleur

First film I've seen for 2000 Singapore International Film Festival. A short film at only 65 minutes but effectively delivered. It does not comment, preach nor interpret any of the protagonist's actions. All that is left to the audience as the character goes through the ascension and spiraling descent of a thug at odds with society, his partner in crime & inevitably, the underworld itself. One can't help but sympathise with him at certain points but one cannot shake the doubtful feeling that he's not that hapless but actually cold blooded and ruthless too. Interesting film - definitely fodder for thought.

long time since I've seen this movie (probapsly about a year or two). You like spie-derr-man?! This is die-hard material. A very modern way of film making. The French aren't that trivial, you know, and I wouldn't like to be the protagonist of this feature. It's a joker in his adolescence years who boasts about his capabilities towards a girl of his age. He enters hard reality in his romantic egocentric young romantic view of the world. Criminality isn't that easy, you know. Myself, I've tried it (in a modest way: non organised stealing). But what this boy encounters puts yer nose down on the facts. No romanticised view on the world here! This is true! In the end you get to learn that debate is more constructive than doin'things by yourself. And all the while it's not a lesson!!!

`Stories of childhood have often been tempered with the melancholic yearning of lost innocence (as in Louis Malle's Au Revoir Les Enfants) or the profound weight of human misery (as in Robert Bresson's Mouchette).' -- An opinion in a filme web --

This filme has a twin called `Alone'about a young girl trying to survive.In LE PETIT VOLEUR the protagonist is a boy in a similar circumstance.Here we follow Esse (Nicolas Duvauchelle)after losing his job he tells his girlfriend, Sandrine, he doesn't intend to be anyone's slave.but after he made love to her,Esse steals her money, then he decided to move to another city only to begin a career as a rough boy who belongs to nobody. He is now apprentice in a Marseille gang that specializes in burglary, prostitution . We see Esse in a boxing gym pretending to be a fighter,there's a humorous scene where Esse is at the bathroom doing boxer' movements' with his fists, knocking everything he has in front of him, suddenly he accidentally knocked his eyes to the door,as a fighter, he is that bad. The most interesting scene of the filme is when Esse has to lookout to an ailing elderly woman who turns out to be the mother of his boss and we witness his desperate bad action.-who got to do with this old woman ( also disturbing as' his punishment.'). -I won't tell no more-. Erick Zonca after the success of La Vie Rêvée des anges,returns with intensity to tell a story about youth desperation in a gray environment.some compared his filmes with the great ROBERT BRESSON,I think that is a right remark Little thief and La vie. has similar endings both protagonists return to a work place why?maybe to Esse is because life on the streets was to tough for him and this work place seem a `safe' one BUT that doesn't mean they are `saved'. Zonca likes to show the misfits, trying to adapt themselves in a tricky system . Nicolas as Esse is a natural actor, he looks like LEO DI CAPRIO but at times reminded me to Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud),that confused young boy of Francois Truffaut masterpiece ' The 400 Blows', that is the biggest compliment I can say.

8/10

This is an austere flick,devoid of embellishment which never tries to please you,audience.As an user wrote, a drop out remains a drop out,though the movie is ,in a certain way,circular ,and its ending is "back to square one" The hero's name (or nickname?) is "Esse" which means "hook",these hooks used by butchers. Comparing him to Jean -Pierre Léaud is an insult because Nicolas Devauchelles has nothing of Truffaut's protégé's affectation and mannerism (when dubbed in English,Léaud is certainly more palatable).He is more bressonesque ,as an user has already pointed out.The director's film is made of small sequences ,without any dramatization.Even the final attack refuses the show ,even if you will probably have to look away.These vignettes involve prostitution,thefts,boxing and even helping old ladies.The running time is probably the shortest of all contemporary French works :65 min.

There are French people who are not romantic ,you know.

This is short, sharp, fast paced and touching story about an evil which hunts ( or try to hunts ) the heart of young boy. He wants to have money right now, in an easy way. As we all want. So, he starts to steel. Sure, someone can say, I know how it will end. But the way the Zonca gets you there will make you surprise. It's amazing and unbelievable that in a such a short time the movie goes, you get involve, thrilled and upset. It's a real must for every screenwriter and director ( no mention movie goers, they have their likes and dislikes in genres ). French movie in it's best. Superb cast of youngsters characters.