Small Change (1976) review

Loving portrait of youth-in-transition, from innocence to adolescence in the few weeks before summer (boys becoming aware of girls and vice versa, boys becoming aware of how fortunate they are when compared to some of their abused and comparatively unloved peers). Covering such a wide spectrum of students and adults in an anecdotal fashion - offering tiny bits of their lives ranging from the sad to humorous - would at first seem like spreading the film's focus too thin, and yet this approach is the perfect one, and in keeping a semi-detached but still concerned view somehow captures the feel of the entire town. It's a joyous celebration of life and whimsy, and one of the director's grandest achievements (and considering Truffaut's range and talent, this says a lot).