Fanny (2013)

Directed by: Daniel Auteuil
Country: France

Movie Review: Daniel Auteuil, a recognized talented actor, continues his directorial adaptations of Marcel Pagnol’s plays. After “The Well Digger’s Daughter” in 2011, this year he comes with a double shot with “Marius” and “Fanny”, a sweet drama that couldn’t get rid of the theatrical tones of Pagnol’s ‘Marseille trilogy’. The story, about a broken love, starts when Fanny (Victoire Belezy) is abandoned by Marius (Raphael Personnaz), a sea lover who went to work for five years on a ship. Fanny wasn’t the only one to be heartbroken, since Marius’ father, Cesar (Auteuil), also didn’t forgive his son for having left without a word. Panisse (J.P. Darroussin), a very wealthy man, proposes to marry Fanny who finds out she’s pregnant from Marius. Nevertheless, the couple gets married, in an agreement that seems to be suitable for everybody, including Cesar. The dramatic peak comes when the obvious happen: the return of Marius. The film was conceived in an old-fashioned way, both in approach and visuals, costumes and sets including. This way, “Fanny” becomes a classical remake of a classic, which doesn’t make much sense, since it doesn't reveal to be better than the older versions, directed by Marc Allégret in 32, and Joshua Logan in 61. Moreover, it was unable to disguise a little torpor in the dialogues and a lack of conviction in its critical middle part, where the film seems like a burden from the past. The super-experienced Alain Sarde co-produced, together with Jerome Seydoux.