Marius (2013)

(On TV, January 2022) (This review addresses both the 2013 versions of Marius and Fanny, so closely are they related) I have now watched three takes on Marcel Pagnol’s Trilogie Marseillaise: the original 1930s French duology, the 1961 Hollywood version that blended all three volumes in one lengthy film, and this, a 2013 diptych that brings the first two volumes to life. My favourite, blasphemously enough, remains the Hollywood version: Not only does it compress the entire trilogy into a single film, it features the iconic performances of Maurice Chevalier and Charles Boyerin two key parts, plus Leslie Caron in one of her most attractive roles. While this 2013 version of the story benefits greatly from a more fully lived-in presentation of the sets and a more naturalistic approach to the acting, it’s cruelly missing a compelling cast. Director Daniel Auteuil doesn’t do badly with his ensemble of actors (including himself in a lead role), but they don’t measure up to their predecessors. Choosing to tell the story in three films also leads to at least two vexing problems: The first, obvious one is that the pacing of the story becomes languid. While 1961’s Fanny was a delight because of the amount of plotting it crammed during its running time, this adaptation takes forever to make basic plot points and challenges the patience of movie audiences. Less obviously, this decision to split the story in three parts leaves the project open to a worse case scenario that, indeed, happened: the filmmakers and their financial backers lost interest in concluding the trilogy, meaning that the third volume was never produced and will never exist using this cast and approach. As a terminal case of narrative frustration, it’s reason enough to go back to 1961 for full satisfaction. I still liked these newer takes on Marius and Fanny quite a bit of it: the wonderful Marseilles accent is on full display here, and the sense of place created by modern filmmaking does give this version of the story its best reason to exist. Still, and I realize that I’m belabouring the point, you really don’t need this version if you’ve seen the Hollywood one. Watch it if you’re a completionist or if you’re curious to see how it compares to previous versions. Otherwise, you risk terminal narrative frustration.