Michael_Elliott Les mistons (1957) *** (out of 4) Early Truffaut short has five young boys following around a beautiful woman who they begin to have feelings for even though none of them know exactly what the feelings are. They follow the woman around with her young lover as they walk, play tennis and eventually make love. This is a pretty good short with the director, apparently, reliving his youth and his first awakening to beautiful women in their short skirts. The movie is extremely well-made and I couldn't help but get a big chuckle at of the various situations that the boys put this woman and her lover in. I couldn't help but remember certain situations in my own use where my friends and I would spy on my friend's older brother and his girlfriend. Those innocent feelings are perfectly displayed in this film as Truffaut does a great job at bringing the children's feelings up front and also their confusion as to what they are doing and feeling. For all the innocence in the film I think it's fitting that the film takes a rather drastic turn towards the end. I won't reveal what happens but it too is a part of childhood and I think it fit the film very well. The performances by the five kids are quite good but the real beauty here is Bernadette Lafont as the woman.

jzappa Francois Truffaut's pre-400 Blows toss-away is an understatedly entertaining little 18- minute film that takes a group of horny little boys and makes them a collective protagonist pursuing an older woman to play pranks on her, frustrated because they know that they could never have her for so many clear reasons. They antagonize her lovers and watch her simply be beautiful.This tongue-in-cheek little whatever shows Truffaut and short story writer Maurice Pons's characters hustling all the woods, the streets, on bridges, and even inside a rural arena, and the kids have an exceedingly realistic affection to them, as this is in fact what boys their age would do with no technology or attention span. They play-fire guns at each other and devise their practical jokes against the lovers.The object of affection is unbelievably attractive, and naturally so, and really that is all we truly know about her, as it's all any of these kids know about her. This short has the muted lack of direct involvement that Truffaut tends to have, and despite that there isn't enough time to get to know these kids or or their crush, it's enhanced to have the inscrutable, almost objectified feature in her character.

MartinHafer While some on IMDb scored this short film higher, I find it really hard to give it a score one way or the other since Les Mistons is only 17 minutes long. It's sort of an experimental film due to its length and it's about as long as the average 3 Stooges short (this is NOT meant as a criticism--just a statement about the length of the film). What I saw, I really liked. It's a real shame that Trufaut never expanded this movie or created more episodes on "The Brats" ("Mistons" in French)--I could see several vignettes like this going to create a nice film.I assume if the viewer has no idea who Truffaut is or had no idea it was one of his films wouldn't think too much about it. It's a slight little film. Enjoyable, but not a "must see".

mike-544 Truffaut's first steps in filmmaking were towards adolescence and their response to the world. "Les Mistons" is not an enjoyable film probably because the young director captures beautifully the feeling of innocence and cruelty. It is a reminiscent film, keeping the viewers interested not just because it reminds them of their youth but also because of the rhythm: it's constructed like faded memories, and the passing of time comes in the end as a surprise. The opening shot, with a boy in his bicycle, is one of the most beautiful scenes ever filmed, as we instantly capture the essence of this truly unforgettable film. In French.