Clochard: A quiet, dusty walk through the past

Is it worth the watch?

If you have the patience for a film that doesn't care about a three-act structure or hitting plot beats on a timer, sure. You'll probably dig it if you enjoy stuff like Borderline where the atmosphere matters way more than the dialogue. If you need a movie to keep you on the edge of your seat with high stakes, stay far, far away. You'll just be bored to tears.

There is this one moment where the lead just stares at a piece of bread for what feels like an eternity. It isn't a *deep* moment. It’s just... a guy looking at bread. But in the context of the film, it weirdly makes sense.

The rhythm of the street

The pacing is all over the place. Sometimes it sprints through a scene like it's trying to get to dinner, and other times it just parks itself on a park bench and lets the wind blow. It feels less like a directed movie and more like someone just left the camera running while they followed a random person around 1930s France.

Robert Ancelin is... well, he is there. He doesn't give a 'performance' so much as he just exists in the frame. It’s refreshing, honestly. No ego. Just a guy in a dirty coat.

• The lighting in the alley scenes is remarkably murky.
• I’m pretty sure that same cat shows up in three different neighborhoods.
• Nobody explains why he’s carrying that small wooden box. I stopped waiting for an explanation after twenty minutes.

It’s not as polished as The Brat, which gives it this jagged, uneven energy I actually grew to like. It feels like a scrap of film pulled out of a gutter. Is it a masterpiece? No. But it isn't trying to be one, either, which is a nice change of pace.

There’s a scene involving a fountain that goes on about thirty seconds too long. You can almost see the director wondering if they should cut, then deciding to just let the water run. It’s awkward. I loved it. 🌧️

If you're looking for something that respects your time, skip this. If you want to watch something that feels like a forgotten dream or a dusty photograph you found in a shoebox, give it a go. Just don't expect it to tell you what it’s 'about.' It doesn't know, and frankly, I don't think it cares.