Shoot The Piano Player

Truffaut's second film. I loved it. Paul Thomas Anderson lists this film as one of his influences and you can see it in the first scene - a great chase scene which he undoubtedly drew from for Punch Drunk Love. The story follows the timid and talanted piano player Charlie who has a mysterious background and a fear of becoming close to women. There's some great dialogue in this film and just an overall energy that makes the film a joy to watch. I felt the same way watching Truffaut's first film - 400 Blows. Both films seem infused with a great freedom and natural quality that pervades from the direction to the acting to the free roaming cinematography. Truffaut seems to be a director who is much more concerned with the overall feel and mood and energy of his films than a preciseness of edits and a slickness and precision of shots. That energy spills out of the screen and makes me excited about making movies.