Breathless was a film I did not warm up to easily the first time I saw it, as it was my first film I had seen from Jean-Luc Godard, and thought it was (un-fairly) too "French". On top of that, I felt displeased with Jean-Paul Belmondo's performance. After seeing the film again, and then a third time, I still find it to not be my absolute favorite Godard, but it is a lot better film than I first remembered. Much better. In fact, it is what pretty much anyone who has praise for the movie says it is: It's one of the benchmarks of post-modernist film-making (what Godard said was accidental in "jump-cuts", evident in the fast pace of when Michel is in the car at the beginning of the film), and it is quite a good deal of fun even when it slows down and we get those long hand-held shots by Raoul Cotard.
The music is catchy (I find myself whistling the theme music and some of the other music in the film), Belmondo is interesting even when he's acting like a ironic rebel (and, upon repeated viewings, Belmondo grew on me even more as I realized my initial reaction was to the punk-like quality of the character, which is of course the point), and Godard seems to be relishing in his Jazzy usage and control of the camera. It is exhilarating and I look forward to re-watching it again and again; bottom line, A Bout de soufflé was appropriately Godard's breakthrough, and on a first viewing it may turn off some more than others who aren't prepared - or, indeed, may be prepared but are too used to what Godard had already broken through with some almost 50 years ago. It does deserve a second viewing, or more, to understand it or perhaps be enthralled or whatever by it.
The music is catchy (I find myself whistling the theme music and some of the other music in the film), Belmondo is interesting even when he's acting like a ironic rebel (and, upon repeated viewings, Belmondo grew on me even more as I realized my initial reaction was to the punk-like quality of the character, which is of course the point), and Godard seems to be relishing in his Jazzy usage and control of the camera. It is exhilarating and I look forward to re-watching it again and again; bottom line, A Bout de soufflé was appropriately Godard's breakthrough, and on a first viewing it may turn off some more than others who aren't prepared - or, indeed, may be prepared but are too used to what Godard had already broken through with some almost 50 years ago. It does deserve a second viewing, or more, to understand it or perhaps be enthralled or whatever by it.