GRADE: B+

Featuring wonderful performances by Jean-Louis Trintgnant and Fanny Ardant, this final film from Frances Francois Truffaut, who died of a brain tumor at age 52, embodies all of the cinematic elements and thematic qualities that rightfully brought the director acclaim.

It’s no secret that Truffaut was a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock (he even authored on book on the great director) and that he emulated his style and approach in several of his films, most notably 1968’s “The Bride Wore Black.” But “Confidentially Yours” is not merely Hitchcock by the numbers—it has its own style and sense of spirit, and makes better use of light comedy than the rigid Hitchcock was ever able to incorporate into his films, which were often remote in this respect.

As evidence is the way in which Truffaut develops Ardant’s character, imbuing her with more smarts and sex appeal than most Hitchcock heroines. It can also be found in the beautiful black & white cinematography (courtesy of Nestor Almendros), a medium Hitchcock regrettably abandoned for good after 1960’s “Psycho.”

The story, which mixes elements of romance, drama, murder and mystery with effortless ease, concerns a secretary whose boss has been accused of murder. The two don’t even really like one another, but she’s intrigued by the murder and the prospects of an exciting hunt to find the real killer. Of course, he doesn’t want her help, but soon enough realizes he needs it—they’re reluctant partners whose constant bickering portends a budding affection. Audiences will see this coming, but Trintgnant and Ardant generate such sparks that the predictability of their pairing becomes irrelevant.

Trintgnant is one of film’s finest actors, having appeared in many historically important films for such directors as Eric Rohmer, Bernardo Bertolucci and Claude Chabrol. In each, he has shown his ability to portray disparate characters in vastly different roles and settings. As for Ardant, a relative newcomer at the time, she displays a great sense of timing and dramatic restraint, using rather than trading on her stunning beauty (Truffaut’s admiration of her on-screen presence is evident throughout).

Add Georges Delerue’s catchy scoring, a fast-paced style and an overall sense of not taking the proceedings too seriously and you’ve got more than just a conventional updating of the formula made famous by Dashiell Hammett’s “The Thin Man,” which introduced moviegoers to what would become film’s most famous couple, Nick and Nora Charles.

“Confidentially Yours” may not measure up to the groundbreaking heights reached by that film, but it’s got Truffaut. And with him at the helm, you can count on being treated like an adult and entertained in style.

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