Le Café du pont (2010) - film review

Spring, 1947.  In the south-west of France, 12-year-old Pierrot lives an idyllic existence with his friends, who spend most of their days fishing in the canals.  Pierrot’s parents manage a café that is popular with the local workers and sailors.  His father dreams of building a ballroom, in spite of the cost and the work involved.  But one day, Pierrot’s mother falls ill through exhaustion and her doctor orders her to take things more easily...

Manuel Poirier’s chronicle of family life in the immediate aftermath of WWII (adapted from Pierre Perret’s recently published memoirs) is an anodyne collection of childhood memories which lacks any real depth or emotional power.  Whilst the film is elegantly photographed and succeeds in evoking the period in which it is set, the superficial characterisation and lacklustre narrative prevent it from being a particularly memorable or satisfying piece of cinema.  Nonetheless, although a lightweight and pretty bland affair, the film has a certain homespun charm, and a simplicity which will doubtless appeal to anyone who is seeking relief from the stresses and strains of modern life.

© James Travers 2010

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