Cute beyond winsome, perfectly rescued by stylish, quirky charm
Set in 60s France, all in poster bright cartoon colours and a rather anarchic, slapstick performance style, this is a child's eye view of the world.<br /><br />Nicolas (an enchanting performance by serious faced Maxime Godart) mistakenly assumes his mother is pregnant and is afraid he will be abandoned and unwanted when the new baby arrives. With his goofy collection of young friends he embarks on various plans to get rid of the baby.<br /><br />Meanwhile, his parents are worried about money, trying to climb the social ladder, currying favour with Nicolas's father's boss - a hilarious dinner party scene, where you know every single gag before it happens, but delight in the infectious, witty performances.<br /><br />This really is a totally feel-good film, but done with great wit and style, by all performers.<br /><br />It is the quirkiness, the great look of the film, the expertise of the performances and somehow a lack of saccharine sentimentality that make this so good.<br /><br />French Film, English subtitles, 91 minutes. This really is a film that can be enjoyed by both children AND adults. In patronises neither audience, nor does it indulge or overplay its feel-good nature. The length of the film is just right and stops the good jokes and set pieces from overstaying their welcome<br /><br />I received this as a free review copy
Rating: 5 stars