Acclaimed French actor Daniel Auteuil (Hidden), who gained international recognition after starring in Claude Berri’s classic adaptations of novelist and filmmaker Marcel Pagnol’s Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources, has chosen another Pagnol remake (the first of four – he is slated to direct three further Pagnol adaptations, La Trilogie Marseillaise) for his triumphant debut feature similarly set in 1940s Provence.
Auteuil also stars as the wily, characterful Pascal Amoretti, a well-digger raising his six daughters alone after the death of his wife; with the stunning, accomplished 18-year-old Patricia (Astrid Bergès-Frisbey) perhaps his favourite.
But his hopes for her are disappointed when she discovers she is pregnant just as her boyfriend Jacques, the son of a local hardware salesman, is sent off to fight in WWI. Jacques’ wealthy family refuse any contact with Patricia; and Pascal, proud and stubborn, faces hard choices about how best to help her.
The film’s poignancy and beauty (Auteuil makes the most of the sumptuous rural Provencal settings) recall Berri’s masterpieces, with polished acting, the simple integrity of Auteuil’s direction and a sweeping score by Alexandre Desplat (Oscar winner for The King’s Speech) giving the film a romantic and authentic charm.