Maupi Movies

L'Ecole Buissoniere could be described as a small-scale Gallic version of Goodbye Mr. Chips. Bernard Blier stars as Pascal, a head-in-the-clouds teacher forced to come down to earth when he is assigned a woebegone rural school. Hoping to stimulate his students, Pascal digresses from the established curriculum, only to run afoul of the hidebound adults in the vicinity. Eventually, however, he is successful with his students--all but one. The climax finds Pascal desperately trying to turn his lone "problem student" around before his license is revoked. The film works best in the one-on-one scenes between Bernard Blier and recalcitrant schoolboy D. Caron. The 115-minute running time was trimmed considerably when L'Ecole Buissoniere made it to American television in the mid-1950s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Croisieres Siderales is a contemporary fable owing more than a little to Sleeping Beauty. Lovely Madeline Sologne agrees to participate in an experimental space launch. When she returns to Earth, she discovers that 25 years have elapsed and she has remained virtually untouched by the passage of time while those left behind have aged dramatically. Sologne's lover Jean Marchat determines to go into space as well so that he and Sologne will be the same age. Makes sense. Croisieres Siderales is an enchanting piece of whimsy, filmed in France just prior to the Nazi takeover. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Le Schpountz (Heartbeat) stars Fernandel as a feckless country boy named Saturnin. Convinced that he's a great lover (if only he could find someone to love), Saturnin is derisively labelled a "schpountz" by his friends and neighbors. He eventually proves that he's got a lot more compassion than anyone around him when his stepsister Angele (Orane Demaxis) returns home in disgrace with an illegitimate child in tow. "Le Schpountz" also surprises one and all when he makes good in the French movie industry! Director Marcel Pagnol uses the plot of this bucolic comedy drama to mercilessly drub his producers and their often questionable methods of raising production money. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The final film in Marcel Pagnol's Marseilles trilogy (following Marius and Fanny), this drama follows Cesariot (Andre Fouche), an 18-year-old who has recently been led to believe that his father, Honore (Fernand Charpin), is not really his father at all. Honore dies without telling Cesariot about his true parentage, but after the funeral, his mother Fanny (Orane Demazis) breaks the news that Cesar (Raimu), who he had always been told was his godfather, is in fact his grandfather. Cesariot asks Cesar for the truth; the old man tells him that his real dad is Marius (Pierre Fresnay), an auto mechanic, and tells him how to find the garage where Marius works. Cesariot sets out to meet Marius, but when he stops by the garage, Marius isn't in. His boss, Fernand (Doumel), decides to have some fun and tells Cesariot that Marius is a notorious outlaw; the boy buys it hook, line, and sinker and returns home heartbroken. When Marius finds out what happened, he realizes that he must find the boy and see if the damage can still be repaired. While any of the three films in Pagnol's trilogy can be enjoyed separately, Cesar in particular is best appreciated when seen alongside the other two films. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Mirages de Paris was the first French film effort by Russian director Fedor Ozep. Jacqueline Francel plays Madeline, a young girl of modest talents who hopes to become a musical-comedy star. Her somewhat naïve efforts to achieve this goal includes a campaign to impress theatrical "luminary" Francois (Roger Theville). Little does she know that Francois is no more a star than she -- in fact, he's merely a lowly understudy, likewise seeking his big break. Lots of complications and misunderstandings follow, leading to the inevitable romantic clinch at the fade-out. American prints of Mirages de Paris were handicapped by some barely literate English-language subtitles, but the storytelling prowess of Ozep and the appealing performances of his stars still manage to shine through. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this touching romance, the first in Marcel Pagnol's Marseilles trilogy (the other two being Fanny and Cesar, Pierre Fresnay stars as Marius, a young man tending bar who dreams of a life at sea. Because he so desires to become a sailor, he cannot commit to marriage even though he loves Fanny (Orane Demazis). When the rich Honore Panisse (Charpin) proposes to Fanny, Marius becomes enraged, but still refuses to ask for her hand. At the bar, Fanny confesses her love for him and tells Marius she has rejected Honore's proposal. Marius admits his love for her as well and they retire to a back room to make love. When Marius is told a spot has opened up on a departing ship, he declines to sign on, not wanting to leave Fanny, but he still refuses to marry her. Fanny overhears the conversation, and not wanting to hold Marius back from the life at sea he so desires, tells Marius she has changed her mind and accepted Honore's proposal. Heartbroken, Marius rushes to pack and catch the departing ship. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide