Lacks Bells and Whistles, But Still Worth It

Following the breathtaking success of The 400 Blows in 1959, François Truffaut toyed with the idea of documenting the life and times of its central character—Antoine Doinel—in a series of films. Between 1962 and 1979 his vision was realised, and this box set comprises all five chapters of the story.

Of the five titles, the second (Antoine and Colette) was made for TV, not cinema, and although it is an essential part of the series, it seems to have caused something of a curation headache.