Breathless, 1960

I don't think this film was intended to be enjoyed so much as it was intended to give audiences a new outlook on film and what you can do with it by ushering in the French New Wave. It's not technically the first, or IMO best, entry in the genre, but it's the one that put New Wave on the map. It's definitely worth a look for anyone passionate about the history of film who'd like to see a movie that inspired most modern film-making techniques by "breaking all the rules". For everyone else it would be a waste of time, as it's not the least bit entertaining. There is a story in it somewhere about a crook who kills a policeman and then goes into hiding with his girlfriend, but just as you would expect it to in real life, it unfolds in a slow, random, roundabout way as the two lovebirds discuss life, death, and everything in between. The seemingly improvised dialogue, low-key performances, jerky camera movements, and sloppy editing all give the viewer the sense that they are watching an amateur documentary instead of a sleek, phony, (i.e. entertaining) Hollywood production. Again, I can't honestly say I liked the film, but watching it did somewhat broaden my understanding of the medium.

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