Way before “ Boyhood ”, François Roland Truffaut, French film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film critic, as well as one of the founders of the French New Wave, directed “ Les 400 coups ” (“ The 400 blows ”), a childhood movie featuring his own alter ego: Antoine Doinel.

Years later, Doinel appears in four subsequent films (including one short: “ Antoine et Colette ”) that masterfully portray love, marriage and the difficulties of daily life. Those movies remain some of Truffaut’s finest achievements.

The 400 blows | Les 400 coups [1959]
A classic tale of childhood, family and the loss of innocence. Doinel is a young boy facing constant trouble at home and at school. As things go out of control, he decides to rebel. François Truffaut’s most personal film and one of the all-time greats.
4/4Stolen kisses | Baisers volés [1968]
Truffaut followed up “ Les 400 coups ” with this irresistible screwball comedy that takes place a few years after the events of the first movie, as we follow Doinel as an adult, trying to earn a living following his discharge from the army, and win the heart of the charming Christine. Easily one of Truffaut’s finest romantic comedies.
4/4Bed and board | Domicile conjugal [1970]
Third feature film in the Antoine Doinel series is faithful to its predecessors in every way, as we follow the married life of Antoine and Christine. Another wonderful film filled with laughs, tears and nostalgia.
3,5/4

Love on the run | L’amour en fuite [1979]
The last of the Antoine Doinel adventures portrays his separation from Christine, his love affair with Sabine and his brief encounter with his ex-girlfriend Colette. Not as good as the first three, but it’s still a delightful comedy and a fitting conclusion to Doinel’s romantic endeavors.
3/4