Little Nicholas' treasure

Some books have marked a whole generation of readers and it is undeniable that the series of books devoted to the universe of Little Nicholas created by René Goscinny and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé has marked a whole era. The strength of this literary saga is that it deals with childhood from an original angle, mixing humor and tenderness. By approaching with the glance of a child various topics like friendship, school, the first love affairs, work and the hazards of the life, The Little Nicolas published between 1956 and 1965 imposed itself as a timeless work which continues to be read by new generations of young readers. Adapted to television in the form of an animated series in 2009 but especially to the cinema with two films Le Petit Nicolas (2009) and Les Vacances du Petit Nicolas (2014) directed by Laurent Tirard.

The director Julien Rappeneau succeeds here to Laurent Tirard and delivers to us simply the best film adaptation of the universe of The Little Nicholas. We find all the humor and innocence of the novels but also a good caricature of our society. Between a treasure hunt, a contest at school, the world of work and the fact of having an important promotion, everything is a contest to make us spend a good time and especially to create a real nostalgia of the 60s. It is also interesting to see that one of the inspirations of this film seems to be the book that of Stephen King in which a band of inseparable friends will be welded forever and find themselves later adult. Of course, there are no monsters here, except for a disturbing house in which an old person and his dog live. 

The Invincibles club of which Little Nicholas is a member is inseparable both at school and outside and likes to share soccer games as well as a treasure hunt which will be at the center of this new film. After his father is promoted within his company, Little Nicholas learns that he will have to move and tries to find a solution so that he won't have to leave his friends. Celebrating values such as friendship, the fact of being in an adult world in which children are not always listened to because they have no real experience, we must recognize that the treasure of Little Nicholas is an excellent family comedy perfectly paced with a nostalgic flavor that will please adults as well.

Former screenwriter turned director, Julien Rappeneau for his third film after Rosalie Blum (2015) and Ant (2019) delivers here simply his best film and reminds us that the universe created by René Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempé is part of our DNA. The change of cast brings to this third film an undeniable contribution and the duo Jean-Paul Rouve and Audrey Lamy works perfectly and reminds us of the importance of having a close family to have a happy life. Despite the passage of time, the vision of these two genius authors remains forever in our collective unconscious as the traces of a bygone era in which new technologies were not omnipresent, in which success was achieved through dedication to one's work and in which young people did not suffer from bad influences such as subculture on YouTube or mind-numbing television programs.

Little Nicolas' Treasure
Directed by Julien Rappeneau
Produced by Olivier Delbosc
Written by Mathias Gavarry
Based on the characters created by Jean-Jacques Sempé and René Goscinny
Starring Ilan Debrabant, Jean-Paul Rouve, Audrey Lamy, Pierre Arditi, Grégory Gadebois, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, François Morel, Adeline D'Hermy, Noémie Lvovsky, Philippe Uchan, Lise Lametrie, Hubert Myon, Leny Morand
Cinematography: 
Edited by :  
Production companies : Curiosa Films
Distributed by Warner Bros. France (France)
Release date : October 20, 2021 (France)
Running time : 103 minutes

Seen on October 02, 2021 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 4 seat A21

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