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Les Enfants du Marais (1998)
Director: Jean Becker
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
This 'gentle' yarn set in the Loire valley in the 1930s, follows an odd couple of odd-jobbers - Riton (Villeret) and Garris (Gamblin), muddling through life in relative poverty - and their friendships with various locals. Thus we meet middle-aged bachelor and dandy Amédée (Dussollier), who grins boyishly and introduces them to jazz on his gramophone; Tane (Boudet), who drives a train, so isn't around much; and bored self-made industrialist Pépé (Serrault), who finds his priggish family stultifying. Riton is an idler who waxes alcoholic on the marvels of his long-lost first wife, while his straight friend Garris secretly nurses a footloose spirit. The tone is lyrical and bittersweet - Garris develops a crush on a local girl (Carré) who heads elsewhere; Pépé rediscovers the rustic joys of his childhood - which is, perhaps, poignant, supposing you can rouse yourself to care a hoot. It's narrated by Riton's little daughter, who takes a shine to Pépé's grandson, and falls ill somewhere along the story; and, lest there seem a dearth of dramatic tension, there's an imprisoned ex-champion boxer (Cantona) who blames Riton for his misfortunes and swears revenge.Author: NB
Cast & crew
Director: Jean Becker
Producer: Hervé Truffaut
Cast: Jacques Villeret, Jacques Gamblin, André Dussollier, Michel Serrault, Isabelle Carré, Eric Cantona, Suzanne Flon, Jacques Dufilho, Gisèle Casadesus, Jacques Boudet full cast
Duration: 115 mins
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