Like its many lengthy tracking shots that hover over Paris and the Parisian countryside, the quality of this film crept up on me. I'm watching Lamorisse's films in the recently released Criterion collection and this is easily my favorite apart from The Red Balloon. Its characters/acting can be a little silly at times, but this just gives the film a sense of whimsy. The beauty on-screen here really captured me. It wasn't until halfway through the film that I started to become aware of how much I was enjoying it - it has a hypnotic quality. I felt like I was in a sidecar on the balloon (how they got some shots blows my mind).

This is a very nice movie to be enjoyed with kids on a quiet weekend.