Movie about a movie who's director is the director of the movie's movie. Nice to have a look behind the scenes of film making, although much of it looks rather staged, including bad acting and over-acting. Which makes the fictional movie about people making a movie really looks like people making a fictional movie. In a movie that you don't really like, sometimes there's one scene that almost makes up for the rest of the movie. A scene that you will probably never forget. Like the Japanese guy doing a karaoke act of the Sex Pistols in Lost In Translation, here the WOW scene is the short cat intermezzo. Silence... tension...touched... A moment of true movie magic.

Considered one of Truffaut's finest films and an homage to the filmmaking process, this movie is about a French cast and crew in the process of making a movie. There are a number of smaller stories with the people involved as they reveal themselves through the shoot, and the movie highlights the difficulties from a director's point of view – time pressure, various idiosyncrasies of the actors, and the complexities of getting shots just right. Truffaut himself played the director, which was interesting to see and think about (you know, directing himself directing). The movie was reasonably good and it held my interest, but it was not great, because the behind-the-scenes action was less interesting to me. Maybe some of that is because the behind-the-scenes aspects have had more exposure since 1973 when the film was made, and it was more of a novelty then. I have to also say that with the exception of Nathalie Baye, I didn't care all that much about the cast and characters, which was probably also part of the problem. Worth watching though.

Truffaut -how shall I say this?- is grossly overrated. I did my homework: I have now seen 5 of his movies and I am stunned by the attention such an inept filmmaker has commanded over the years in critics' writings. What on earth is there to praise in Truffaut's flaccid movies? They all feel to me like a high school kid fond of cinema made them: immature and clichéd in both content and form. Critics, open your eyes: this a filmmaker who has botched every good plot he was given (Mississipi Siren, Les 2 Anglaises et le Continent, The Bride Wore Black) misused great actors (Catherine Deneuve, Jeanne Moreau) and overused very bad actors (Jean-Pierre Leaud, who, after his miraculous turn as a child in The 400 Blows, was never able to speak or act in a compelling or even noticeable manner. There he is again in Day For Night, flat as a failed soufflé, bland as porridge. And we are supposed to believe he seduces Jacqueline Bisset in this story?! Casting, people, casting!) Day For Night features characters that are cardboard cutouts, actors that have clichés dialogs to emote to, situations that feels forced or trite. It is lightweight material, from which you come out vaguely entertained, and mostly frustrated: what a waste of time, and all this national and international praise for such fluff? Did I learn anything from this movie? Did it make me think, did parts of it resonate in my life or mind, did it make me want to see more or do something better with my life? Was there any real emotion on screen?I saw recently in my local art house theater "A Nos Amours" of Maurice Pialat. Same country, same generation of filmmaker, but oh what a difference of authenticity and competency. Time to throw off the false gods and promote quality: bury Godard, forget Truffaut -watch Pialat, and feel something.

This is my favorite film directed by François Truffaut, even though most of his works stands as absolutely classics, as "The 400 Blows" and "Jules et Jim". The reason why I love "Le Nuit Americaine" is the way Truffaut engenders a world of dreams that movies are, combining with a funny and sometimes dramatic reality of the people involved in making a film."Le Nuit Americaine" (The American Night or "Day For Night") is the title of a process where a day scene is filmed at night, and here we are invited to watch the complex and wild process of shooting a movie, with countless problems, temperamental actors and their love affairs, or actors who have problems to memorize their lines, schedule, budget; all of that in the hands of the director Ferrand (Truffaut playing himself, basically) who wants to make a great film named "Meet Pamela" (the story of it is the same of a film that would be released in 1992 by Louis Malle called "Damage", the main situation is equal). We're able to see how this masters of illusion can make things happen, how a scene is created or modified during the production course, stunt doubles risking their lives in dangerous scenes, and how many takes is needed to make one good scene that last seconds on the screen.This film is much precious as "Nuovo Cinema Paradiso" but it doesn't reveals what audiences likes to see, it shows how it is made and how difficult it is to make it good, to guarantee some money return and good critics. It is a magical and beautiful world but it has the same problems that we have in life because art reflects life and vice versa. "Le Nuit Americaine" makes you have a profound respect for all the people involved in making movies, directors, producers, writers, actors, editors, cinematographers, art directors, stand-in's, stunt doubles and all of them because their work is amazing, and when you have the chance to see something so brilliant as this film it makes worth a while and you should applaud them for that.My favorite moment is the film is a dream sequence where the director Ferrand/Truffaut is remembering a moment from his childhood when he stole pictures of "Citizen Kane", in those famous cards posted in cinemas. It's a very nostalgic and real moment of Truffaut's life who is a admirer of Welles film that has a huge importance in my life, and I really wish to do what he made by stealing those pictures (nowadays cinemas don't have these photos anymore, when I was kid I was fascinated by them). It is a moment that every film buff will love, this obsession for films and dreaming of being part of it someday, it says a lot and it is a very beautiful scene.The fantastic ensemble casting is composed by Jacqueline Bisset, Valentina Cortese, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Jean-Pierre Léaud (in a character opposed as his famous Antoine Doinel), Nathalie Baye, Alexandra Powers, Dani and many others, all great. It's a delightful homage to films and the individuals behind the camera who makes our lives more entertaining, happier and lighter. Bravo Monsieur Truffaut! 10/10