Product Review

Marius and Fanny are the first two parts of Marcel Pagnol's classic trilogy following the loves and losses of a Marseille port community. Actor and director Daniel Auteuil (The Well-Digger's Daughter) has faithfully and beautifully recreated the grand emotions of these beloved texts. Marius (Raphaël Personnaz) is the strapping young son of César (Auteuil), a blustery café owner. Marius has known and adored the pretty fishmonger Fanny (Victoire Bélézy) since they were children, but he is torn between his love for her and his love for the sea. Fanny, meanwhile, is being courted by the kindly old shop-owner Panisse (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), who offers wealth and stability. Marius and Fanny are torn between freedom and responsibility, and every decision they make leads to greater heartbreak. With its brilliant and beautiful performances, Marius and Fanny are soaring, satisfying melodramas that would make Pagnol proud.