Marion (1997) - film review

A working class family moves to a rural Normandy village.  The father, a labourer, earns barely money to keep his wife and four young children, but the family are content with what they have.  The youngest daughter, Marion, catches the eye of one of their neighbours, Audrey, a wealthy Parisian.  Audrey regrets not having children of her own and raises with her husband the possibility of taking Marion with them when they return to Paris.  Marion’s parents are uneasy with the Parisian couple but are aware of the positive influence they are having on their daughter.  Should they allow Audrey to take charge of Marion’s education...

heady mix of social realism and road movie à la française, Manuel Poirier drew the attention of critics and art house cinema enthusiasts and has since earned a reputation as one of France’s most promising directing talents.  His attachment to social issues is most apparent in Marion, a simple yet poignant film in which a struggling working class couple are faced with an almost impossible moral dilemma, one with which most people can sympathise.

Although the film comes perilously close to losing its focus by occasionally veering off into wider social issues such as racism (which it fails to develop convincingly), it tackles its main theme with depth and humanity.  Its view of family life is perhaps simplistic but this does not harm the film’s credibility.  The characters are generally well drawn and well acted, although it is a pity that Audrey’s eagerness to adopt Marion is never fully explained.  Young Coralie Tetard is enchanting in the role of Marion and it is a shame that she is not given greater prominence in the film.  Overall, however, this is a charming little film which treats some complex social themes with compassion, intelligence and a certain wry poetry.

© James Travers 2003

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