Just because community is a beautiful thing never means it's an easy thing. Family relations, most everyone knows, can prove especially dicey. Even in comedies. Especially in comedies. In the early 1930s, just as the movies were learning to talk, French theater playwright and impresario Marcel Pagnol honed in on this truth as he brought his now-revered Marseille Trilogy to motion picture screens. Released between 1931 and 1936, the three films, Marius, Fanny and César, boast a cozy continuity in characters and the terrific actors playing them, not to mention their provincial seaside location. Originating on stage in Paris, Pagnol's initial entry, Marius, proved to be a popular hit as a film as well as a play. It immediately gave way to a followup one...
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- 8/8/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Each month, the fine folks at FilmStruck and the Criterion Collection spend countless hours crafting their channels to highlight the many different types of films that they have in their streaming library. This August will feature an exciting assortment of films, as noted below.
To sign up for a free two-week trial here.
Tuesday, August 1
Tuesday’s Short + Feature: These Boots and Mystery Train
Music is at the heart of this program, which pairs a zany music video by Finnish master Aki Kaurismäki with a tune-filled career highlight from American independent-film pioneer Jim Jarmusch. In the 1993 These Boots, Kaurismäki’s band of pompadoured “Finnish Elvis” rockers, the Leningrad Cowboys, cover a Nancy Sinatra classic in their signature deadpan style. It’s the perfect prelude to Jarmusch’s 1989 Mystery Train, a homage to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and the musical legacy of Memphis, featuring appearances by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Joe Strummer.
To sign up for a free two-week trial here.
Tuesday, August 1
Tuesday’s Short + Feature: These Boots and Mystery Train
Music is at the heart of this program, which pairs a zany music video by Finnish master Aki Kaurismäki with a tune-filled career highlight from American independent-film pioneer Jim Jarmusch. In the 1993 These Boots, Kaurismäki’s band of pompadoured “Finnish Elvis” rockers, the Leningrad Cowboys, cover a Nancy Sinatra classic in their signature deadpan style. It’s the perfect prelude to Jarmusch’s 1989 Mystery Train, a homage to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and the musical legacy of Memphis, featuring appearances by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Joe Strummer.
- 7/24/2017
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
No longer out of reach, Marcel Pagnol’s stunning 3-feature saga of love and honor in a French seaport is one of the great movie experiences — and the most emotional workout this viewer has seen in years. The tradition of greatness in the French sound cinema began with gems like these, starring legendary actors that were sometimes billed only with their last names: Raimu, Charpin. Those two, Pierre Fresnay and Orane Demazis are simply unforgettable — it’s 6.5 hours of dramatic wonderment.
Marcel Pagnol’s The Marseille Trilogy
Marius * Fanny * César
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 881-884
1931 – 1936 / B&W / 1:19 flat full frame, 1:19 flat full frame, 1:37 flat full frame / 127 * 127 * 141 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 20, 2017 / 79.96
Starring: Raimu, Pierre Fresnay, Orane Demazis, Fernand Charpin, Alida Rouffe, Paul Dullac, Robert Vattier, André Fouché.
Cinematography: Ted Pahle, Nicolas Toporkoff, Willy Faktorovitch
Original Music: ?, Vincent Scotto, Vincent Scotto
Written by Marcel Pagnol
Produced by Ted Pahle,...
Marcel Pagnol’s The Marseille Trilogy
Marius * Fanny * César
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 881-884
1931 – 1936 / B&W / 1:19 flat full frame, 1:19 flat full frame, 1:37 flat full frame / 127 * 127 * 141 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date June 20, 2017 / 79.96
Starring: Raimu, Pierre Fresnay, Orane Demazis, Fernand Charpin, Alida Rouffe, Paul Dullac, Robert Vattier, André Fouché.
Cinematography: Ted Pahle, Nicolas Toporkoff, Willy Faktorovitch
Original Music: ?, Vincent Scotto, Vincent Scotto
Written by Marcel Pagnol
Produced by Ted Pahle,...
- 6/16/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Marcel Pagnols’ Marseille Trilogy, Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog” and Nicholas Ray’s “They Live by Night” are among the new titles joining the Criterion Collection this June. In addition, Kenji Mizoguchi’s “Ugetsu” and Sam Peckinpah’s “Straw Dogs” are being upgraded in new Blu-ray editions. More information below.
Read More: The Criterion Collection Announces May Titles: ‘Ghost World,’ ‘Dheepan,’ ‘Jeanne Dielman’ and More
“Ugetsu”
“Having refined his craft in the silent era, Kenji Mizoguchi was an elder statesman of Japanese cinema-fiercely revered by Akira Kurosawa and other younger directors-by the time he made ‘Ugetsu.’ And with this exquisite ghost story, a fatalistic wartime tragedy derived from stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant, he created a touchstone of his art, his long takes and sweeping camera guiding the viewer through a delirious narrative about two villagers whose pursuit of fame and...
Read More: The Criterion Collection Announces May Titles: ‘Ghost World,’ ‘Dheepan,’ ‘Jeanne Dielman’ and More
“Ugetsu”
“Having refined his craft in the silent era, Kenji Mizoguchi was an elder statesman of Japanese cinema-fiercely revered by Akira Kurosawa and other younger directors-by the time he made ‘Ugetsu.’ And with this exquisite ghost story, a fatalistic wartime tragedy derived from stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant, he created a touchstone of his art, his long takes and sweeping camera guiding the viewer through a delirious narrative about two villagers whose pursuit of fame and...
- 3/15/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
It’s only the very beginning of 2017, but in the world of film things tend to move quickly. Well, in so many ways, at least. As the repertory film scene continues to expand, film studios and boutique distributors trying to find any classic catalog title that may hit the fancy of a specific niche film going audience, Janus Films continues to not only be leading the way but bringing to theaters some of the most exciting discoveries of any given year.
Take for example their latest release. January 4 marks the start of Janus’ touring of new restorations of not one, not two but three of the truly great and influential early entries into the French Film Canon. Written by Marcel Pagnol, Marius, Fanny and Cesar all find themselves under the watchful eye of different filmmakers, but carry with them the same sense of warmth and vitality that is crystal clear in Pagnol’s story.
Take for example their latest release. January 4 marks the start of Janus’ touring of new restorations of not one, not two but three of the truly great and influential early entries into the French Film Canon. Written by Marcel Pagnol, Marius, Fanny and Cesar all find themselves under the watchful eye of different filmmakers, but carry with them the same sense of warmth and vitality that is crystal clear in Pagnol’s story.
- 1/4/2017
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
With a new restoration of Marcel Pagnol's "Marseilles Trilogy" coming to art-house cinemas, Mubi is showing three later Pagnol adaptations: Joshua Logan's Fanny (1961) and Daniel Auteuil's Fanny (2013) and Marius (2013) in the United States.The sea calls to Marius like a siren song, a tantalizing beckon to a life of mobility, exhilaration, and maritime adventure. It is a life far from his current reality, slinging drinks in his father’s shoreline bar, but it is a tempting existence that forever fills his fantasies and directs his path forward. Little wonder, really. The port of Marseilles is teeming with the influence of a sailor’s life, from the towering ships, their sails and masts hovering above the liquid horizon, to the shopfront interiors adorned with innumerable images of nautical signification, paintings and model ships that testify to the lifeblood of this city. Lifeblood, maybe, but also a curse. For Marius (Pierre Fresnay), his father,...
- 1/3/2017
- MUBI
Next month, the folks at Janus Films will begin touring the theatrical tour of the recently restored “Marseille” trilogy from Marcel Pagnol: Marius, Fanny, and Cesar. The films will open on January 4th at the Film Forum in New York.
We learned back in September at Telluride, when the trilogy was attributed to Janus, that they’d be handling the theatrical release of the films here in the states.
Janus Films is handling the new restorations of The Pagnol Trilogy (screening at Telluride) pic.twitter.com/DyENzp7lIe
— CriterionCast (@CriterionCast) September 3, 2016
Earlier this week, Janus unveiled the poster for the tour as well, featuring artwork by Manuele Fior, who designed the artwork for Janus’ release of Le Havre.
While we don’t have a date at this point for a home video release from the Criterion Collection, it certainly seems like this will be a box set at some...
We learned back in September at Telluride, when the trilogy was attributed to Janus, that they’d be handling the theatrical release of the films here in the states.
Janus Films is handling the new restorations of The Pagnol Trilogy (screening at Telluride) pic.twitter.com/DyENzp7lIe
— CriterionCast (@CriterionCast) September 3, 2016
Earlier this week, Janus unveiled the poster for the tour as well, featuring artwork by Manuele Fior, who designed the artwork for Janus’ release of Le Havre.
While we don’t have a date at this point for a home video release from the Criterion Collection, it certainly seems like this will be a box set at some...
- 12/16/2016
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
“I am not the father of neorealism on screen, you are,” said director Roberto Rossellini to novelist, playwright and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol, one of the most prolific artists in the early years of cinema. Now, many will soon be able to watch one of Pagnol’s defining works in his career: the epic “Marseille Trilogy,” a saga of love, labor and good food in 1930’s France, which will return to theaters in a brand-new 4K restoration this January.
Read More: ‘Mulholland Drive’ Returns To UK Theaters Next Year In New 4K Restoration
The series follows young barkeep Marius (Pierre Fresnay) who is in love with the cockle monger Fanny (Orane Demazis), but cannot quell his wanderlust. Stretching out over years, their romance plays out amidst many provincial characters, like Marius’ father César (Raimu), who struggles to keep his family and community together, and Honoré Panisse (Fernand Charpin), the aged widower vying for Fanny’s hand.
Read More: ‘Mulholland Drive’ Returns To UK Theaters Next Year In New 4K Restoration
The series follows young barkeep Marius (Pierre Fresnay) who is in love with the cockle monger Fanny (Orane Demazis), but cannot quell his wanderlust. Stretching out over years, their romance plays out amidst many provincial characters, like Marius’ father César (Raimu), who struggles to keep his family and community together, and Honoré Panisse (Fernand Charpin), the aged widower vying for Fanny’s hand.
- 12/13/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Kenneth Lonergan’s Sundance hit, Denis Villeneuve’s Venice selection, and Pablo Larrain’s acclaimed Chilean biopic are among select titles heading to Colorado this weekend.
The 43rd edition of the Telluride Film Festival includes Clint Eastwood’s Tom Hanks starrer Sully, Barry Jenkins’ anticipated triptych Moonlight and Maren Ade’s Cannes triumph Toni Erdmann.
Joining them are Aisling Walsh’s Maudie, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea, Damien Chazelle’s Venice opener La La Land and also from the Lido, Rama Burshtein’s Through The Wall.
Telluride runs from September 2-5. The main slate line-up appears below.
Arrival (Denis Villeneuve, Us, 2016)The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography (Errol Morris, Us 2016)Bleed For This (Ben Younger, Us, 2016)California Typewriter (Doug Nichol, Us, 2016)Chasing Trane (John Scheinfeld, Us, 2016)The End Of Eden (Angus Macqueen, UK, 2016)Finding Oscar (Ryan Suffern, Us, 2016)Fire At Sea (Gianfranco Rosi, Italy-France, 2016)Frantz ([link...
The 43rd edition of the Telluride Film Festival includes Clint Eastwood’s Tom Hanks starrer Sully, Barry Jenkins’ anticipated triptych Moonlight and Maren Ade’s Cannes triumph Toni Erdmann.
Joining them are Aisling Walsh’s Maudie, Gianfranco Rosi’s Berlin Golden Bear winner Fire At Sea, Damien Chazelle’s Venice opener La La Land and also from the Lido, Rama Burshtein’s Through The Wall.
Telluride runs from September 2-5. The main slate line-up appears below.
Arrival (Denis Villeneuve, Us, 2016)The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography (Errol Morris, Us 2016)Bleed For This (Ben Younger, Us, 2016)California Typewriter (Doug Nichol, Us, 2016)Chasing Trane (John Scheinfeld, Us, 2016)The End Of Eden (Angus Macqueen, UK, 2016)Finding Oscar (Ryan Suffern, Us, 2016)Fire At Sea (Gianfranco Rosi, Italy-France, 2016)Frantz ([link...
- 9/1/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Buoyed by its worldwide premiere at the ongoing Venice Film Festival – early reviews are praising the musical as an audacious, deeply romantic feature – Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash follow-up La La Land has booked its place at Telluride 2016.
The picture, one that stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in central roles, is one of the many soon-to-be-released features to be locked in for the imminent film festival, joining the ranks alongside Manchester By the Sea, Moonlight, Things to Come, Bleed For This and Clint Eastwood’s airborne thriller Sully. It is, without question, a fairly stacked lineup, which only has us all the more excited for the onset of the Toronto International Film Festival later this month.
But over the coming weekend, it is Telluride that will take center stage. Similar to La La Land, today’s unveiling confirms a second festival appearance for Denis Villeneuve’s intriguing sci-fi pic Arrival.
The picture, one that stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in central roles, is one of the many soon-to-be-released features to be locked in for the imminent film festival, joining the ranks alongside Manchester By the Sea, Moonlight, Things to Come, Bleed For This and Clint Eastwood’s airborne thriller Sully. It is, without question, a fairly stacked lineup, which only has us all the more excited for the onset of the Toronto International Film Festival later this month.
But over the coming weekend, it is Telluride that will take center stage. Similar to La La Land, today’s unveiling confirms a second festival appearance for Denis Villeneuve’s intriguing sci-fi pic Arrival.
- 9/1/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
One of the last question marks of the early fall film festival onslaught was Telluride Film Festival, who announces their line-up just a day before the event kicks off. Today now brings the slate for the 43rd edition of the festival, which runs from Friday through Monday.
Featuring the world premiere of Clint Eastwood‘s Sully, there’s also the Venice favorites La La Land and Arrival, as well as past festival highlights and some highly-anticipated dramas headed to Tiff, including Manchester By the Sea, Moonlight, Things to Come, Bleed For This, Toni Erdmann, Una, Neruda, and more. Check out the line-up below, along with links to our reviews where available.
Line-Up
Arrival (d. Denis Villeneuve, U.S., 2016)
The B-side: Elsa Dorfman’S Portrait Photography (d. Errol Morris, U.S., 2016)
Bleed For This (d. Ben Younger, U.S., 2016)
California Typewriter (d. Doug Nichol, U.S., 2016)
Chasing Trane (d. John Scheinfeld,...
Featuring the world premiere of Clint Eastwood‘s Sully, there’s also the Venice favorites La La Land and Arrival, as well as past festival highlights and some highly-anticipated dramas headed to Tiff, including Manchester By the Sea, Moonlight, Things to Come, Bleed For This, Toni Erdmann, Una, Neruda, and more. Check out the line-up below, along with links to our reviews where available.
Line-Up
Arrival (d. Denis Villeneuve, U.S., 2016)
The B-side: Elsa Dorfman’S Portrait Photography (d. Errol Morris, U.S., 2016)
Bleed For This (d. Ben Younger, U.S., 2016)
California Typewriter (d. Doug Nichol, U.S., 2016)
Chasing Trane (d. John Scheinfeld,...
- 9/1/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Constance Cummings in 'Night After Night.' Constance Cummings: Working with Frank Capra and Mae West (See previous post: “Constance Cummings: Actress Went from Harold Lloyd to Eugene O'Neill.”) Back at Columbia, Harry Cohn didn't do a very good job at making Constance Cummings feel important. By the end of 1932, Columbia and its sweet ingenue found themselves in court, fighting bitterly over stipulations in her contract. According to the actress and lawyer's daughter, Columbia had failed to notify her that they were picking up her option. Therefore, she was a free agent, able to offer her services wherever she pleased. Harry Cohn felt otherwise, claiming that his contract player had waived such a notice. The battle would spill over into 1933. On the positive side, in addition to Movie Crazy 1932 provided Cummings with three other notable Hollywood movies: Washington Merry-Go-Round, American Madness, and Night After Night. 'Washington Merry-Go-Round...
- 11/5/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Marc Allégret: From André Gide lover to Simone Simon mentor (photo: Marc Allégret) (See previous post: "Simone Simon Remembered: Sex Kitten and Femme Fatale.") Simone Simon became a film star following the international critical and financial success of the 1934 romantic drama Lac aux Dames, directed by her self-appointed mentor – and alleged lover – Marc Allégret.[1] The son of an evangelical missionary, Marc Allégret (born on December 22, 1900, in Basel, Switzerland) was to have become a lawyer. At age 16, his life took a different path as a result of his romantic involvement – and elopement to London – with his mentor and later "adoptive uncle" André Gide (1947 Nobel Prize winner in Literature), more than 30 years his senior and married to Madeleine Rondeaux for more than two decades. In various forms – including a threesome with painter Théo Van Rysselberghe's daughter Elisabeth – the Allégret-Gide relationship remained steady until the late '20s and their trip to...
- 2/28/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
You’re Horrible, Marius: Auteuil’s Next Stop on the Pagnol Train
At the very least, actor Daniel Auteuil’s return to the director’s seat with the first chapter of his remake of Marcel Pagnol’s Marseille Trilogy, Marius (the original 1931 version was helmed by Alexander Korda) is less aggravating than the 2011 remake of another Pagnol title, The Well Digger’s Daughter, but that’s not saying much. Slight in every conceivable aspect, it’s the initial chapter in a continuing provincial trilogy of wayward love and strict adherence to social norms, here related without any kind of additional panache, a workmanlike homage to the vintage cinema Auteuil desperately wants to evoke.
In the Old Port of Marseille, Cesar (Daniel Auteuil) the crusty owner of Bar de la Marine, runs his humble business with the help of his son, Marius (Raphael Personnaz). While Marius moons for his one true love,...
At the very least, actor Daniel Auteuil’s return to the director’s seat with the first chapter of his remake of Marcel Pagnol’s Marseille Trilogy, Marius (the original 1931 version was helmed by Alexander Korda) is less aggravating than the 2011 remake of another Pagnol title, The Well Digger’s Daughter, but that’s not saying much. Slight in every conceivable aspect, it’s the initial chapter in a continuing provincial trilogy of wayward love and strict adherence to social norms, here related without any kind of additional panache, a workmanlike homage to the vintage cinema Auteuil desperately wants to evoke.
In the Old Port of Marseille, Cesar (Daniel Auteuil) the crusty owner of Bar de la Marine, runs his humble business with the help of his son, Marius (Raphael Personnaz). While Marius moons for his one true love,...
- 7/3/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Following the stateside success of Daniel Auteuil's "The Well-Digger's Daughter," Kino Lorber has again acquired all U.S. rights to release Auteuil's latest feature film adaptations of Marcel Pagnol's work. The two works are part of an multi-year project to remake films by Pagnol. "Kino Lorber was the natural choice for the U.S. distribution of Marius and Fanny," wrote Saya Huddleston, VP, Pathé International. "Their track record in giving due exposure to Daniel Auteuil's directorial debut, 'The Well-Digger's Daughter' is excellent. We are thrilled to be teaming up with them again." Kino Lorber will release both "Marius" and "Fanny" in early 2014, following the theatrical, home video and digital plan established for "The Well-Digger's Daughter." Here are synopses of the two films, courtesy of Kino. Marius (2013) This moving love story by Marcel Pagnol is set at the Old Port of Marseille, in the Bar de la Marine,...
- 9/9/2013
- by James Hiler
- Indiewire
Review by Barbara Snitzer
Barbara Snitzer writes about French cinema at her movie blog Le Movie Snob
An open letter to M Daniel Auteuil:
D’abord, merci M Auteuil for letting me vicariously spend some of my remaining summer moments in my beloved Provence, especially the most beautiful village I have visited there, Salon-de-Provence. It is my sincere hope your directing début will attract more visitors than those who know it as Nostradamus’ birthplace. (Of course, not too many, especially the English.)
I congratulate you on the favorable reviews you are receiving, and it is with great regret that I cannot join the enthusiastic bandwagon. I do not agree with some criticisms I’ve heard from France that you are not a competent director; au contraire. Choosing a work from the .uvre of Marcel Pagnol whose works are set in the region of your childhood and brought you international acclaim are wise choices,...
Barbara Snitzer writes about French cinema at her movie blog Le Movie Snob
An open letter to M Daniel Auteuil:
D’abord, merci M Auteuil for letting me vicariously spend some of my remaining summer moments in my beloved Provence, especially the most beautiful village I have visited there, Salon-de-Provence. It is my sincere hope your directing début will attract more visitors than those who know it as Nostradamus’ birthplace. (Of course, not too many, especially the English.)
I congratulate you on the favorable reviews you are receiving, and it is with great regret that I cannot join the enthusiastic bandwagon. I do not agree with some criticisms I’ve heard from France that you are not a competent director; au contraire. Choosing a work from the .uvre of Marcel Pagnol whose works are set in the region of your childhood and brought you international acclaim are wise choices,...
- 8/17/2012
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
French film star Daniel Auteuil came to international prominence a quarter-century ago when he played the dim-witted nephew of evil land baron Yves Montand in "Jean de Florette" and "Manon of the Spring," two films based on epic novels by Marcel Pagnol. For his directorial debut, Auteuil returns to the well, as it were, with another Pagnol adaptation, "The Well Digger's Daughter." American audiences who like their French period pieces extra-French — complete with sun-dappled fields, tree-lined avenues, full-lipped young girls in sundresses and dashing young men in uniform flying World War...
- 7/19/2012
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Shallow Trench: Auteuil’s Debut a Bland Mush
Certainly one of the most prolific performers to come out of France over the past few decades, Daniel Auteuil’s laboriously banal directorial debut, The Well Digger’s Daughter, which is based on fellow countryman and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol’s novel, doesn’t quite reach the same level of competence as he often does in front of the camera. Old-fashioned in all senses of what that phrase implies, Auteuil’s efforts with this Pagnol adaptation have him currently filming Pagnol’s Marseillaise trilogy. But for those wishing for something more than exquisitely shot pastoral sequences, this clichéd, nonchalant, and antiquated snoozer will disappoint. This humdrum Thomas Hardy narrative knock-off is as memorable as the holes its main character digs in the ground.
In pre-world War II France, a simple widower, Pascal Amoretti (Daniel Auteuil), must support several daughters on his own as a well-digger.
Certainly one of the most prolific performers to come out of France over the past few decades, Daniel Auteuil’s laboriously banal directorial debut, The Well Digger’s Daughter, which is based on fellow countryman and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol’s novel, doesn’t quite reach the same level of competence as he often does in front of the camera. Old-fashioned in all senses of what that phrase implies, Auteuil’s efforts with this Pagnol adaptation have him currently filming Pagnol’s Marseillaise trilogy. But for those wishing for something more than exquisitely shot pastoral sequences, this clichéd, nonchalant, and antiquated snoozer will disappoint. This humdrum Thomas Hardy narrative knock-off is as memorable as the holes its main character digs in the ground.
In pre-world War II France, a simple widower, Pascal Amoretti (Daniel Auteuil), must support several daughters on his own as a well-digger.
- 7/18/2012
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
French actor Daniel Auteuil makes a solid directorial debut with this story adapted from a Pagnol novel – though it's perhaps on the old-fashioned side
Daniel Auteuil stars and makes a very competent directing debut with this handsome, old-fashioned film, adapted from the novel by Marcel Pagnol. It's a bucolic tale, set around the second world war, which must surely remind his fans of the movies that made his name in the UK: the 1986 dramas Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources. Auteuil plays Pascal, a digger and cleaner of wells: he is a greying widower and the father of a number of daughters. The most beautiful of these is the 18-year-old Patricia (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) who is being courted by Pascal's heartbreakingly humble, middle-aged mate Félipe (Kad Merad). But she, like Hardy's Tess, is to be romanced and ruined by a handsome, unreliable young man from wealthier stock. This is Jacques (Nicolas Duvauchelle), whose parents,...
Daniel Auteuil stars and makes a very competent directing debut with this handsome, old-fashioned film, adapted from the novel by Marcel Pagnol. It's a bucolic tale, set around the second world war, which must surely remind his fans of the movies that made his name in the UK: the 1986 dramas Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources. Auteuil plays Pascal, a digger and cleaner of wells: he is a greying widower and the father of a number of daughters. The most beautiful of these is the 18-year-old Patricia (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) who is being courted by Pascal's heartbreakingly humble, middle-aged mate Félipe (Kad Merad). But she, like Hardy's Tess, is to be romanced and ruined by a handsome, unreliable young man from wealthier stock. This is Jacques (Nicolas Duvauchelle), whose parents,...
- 12/9/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
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