Fanny (1961)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Did you people see the same film I saw?

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Based on Pagnol's "La Trilogie Marseillaise" and Joshua Logan's play, this tells the story of Fanny (Leslie Caron.) She has loved Horst Buchholz ever since she could remember and he her, but the trouble is he never did anything about it, but torture himself over it and over his unhappiness with his lot in life, tending bar in his father's little waterfront cafe. He dreams of sailing on the high seas. But he hasn't the heart or gumption to get up and leave, due mainly for his love for Fanny. His father, Cesar, is played wonderfully by Charles Boyer and an older suitor of Fanny's is Panisee (Maurice Chevalier,) a widower, who is three times her age. The film begins with Fanny teasing Marius (Horst,) letting Panisse flirt with her in the cafe with Marius cleaning all around her. Ultimately, Panisse proposes to her and Marius is on the verge on leaving when they have a final confrontation about their situation, when the ship is in port and about to sail; but this is only after they have finally confessed their love for each other. From there, we are shown the repercussions for their emotional actions. This is a very humorous and charming film, and at the same time, it's one of the most deeply felt movies I have ever seen. I can't tell you when I first saw this or how many times I've seen it. But this simple yet beautiful tale is one of my all-time favorite films - ever! Much love is felt and shared. Much respect for all characters is given. The entire cast is outstanding! The people are real and we are invested in them. their feelings, their mistakes, their humanity. With breathtaking scenery and a beautiful score, this is a must-see Leslie Caron film. This may not be put in the category or conversation as "Gigi' or "An American in Paris," but I don't know why not. Miss this and you have missed a true romantic's film.

There is something about Leslie Caron. I was an instant fan when I saw her older movies, and I remained a fan with her newer movies. She is best known for her sweetness and her dancing, but mostly overlooked is that she is a fine dramatic and comedic actress also.Here Leslie Caron is Fanny, still a teenager as the movie begins, even though she was almost 30 during filming. She lives in a close-knit fishing area on the Marseilles harbor. Also there is Horst Buchholz, in his late 20s during filming, as teenager Marius. They grew up together and there is some affection between them, but we don't really know how much. Maurice Chevalier, already in his 70s, is local raconteur Panisse who operates his small business. A widower, he has no children, but has saved the letters "& SON" for the front of the building, still hoping one day he will have a son. He is sweet on Fanny, in spite of their great age difference, but no one takes that too seriously.Marius has wanderlust for the sea, he wants to sail and see the world while he is young. |Fanny doesn't want him to go, but she cares for him and wants him to be happy, so encourages him. Much later we find out she didn't really want him to go. They have a one-night fling of passion and, after Marius is gone, Fanny finds out she is with child. To save face for everyone, Fanny decides to marry Panisse, and even though all the close friends realize the biological father is Marius, Panisse is proud to call the boy his son. Fanny is a faithful wife, although we eventually find out their marriage is only one of convenience. A fine 1960s romantic drama with several big stars of that period. Highly recommended. Watched on Netflix streaming movies.SPOILERS: Around the time the boy turned 1 Marius returned to the area. He had a brief encounter with Fanny, they both professed love for each other but did the right thing and afterwards stayed away from each other. Fanny, Panisse, and their son became a very nice family life together. When the boy was about 10 or so Marius re-entered the picture, Panisse realized how much he and Fanny loved each other, and how well the boy got along with Marius, he had a letter of "proposal" written, for Marius to marry Fanny when Panisse died, which appeared to be very soon.

Like the DVD description claims, "One of the screen's great love stories, set to an unforgettable (Harold Rome) soundtrack in seductive Marseilles, will touch your heart with its charm, humor and timeless themes of young passion and yearning. Starring Leslie Caron at her most beautiful and French cinema icons Charles Boyer and Maurice Chevalier, this 'Academy Award'-nominated gem of filmmaking directed by Joshua Logan tells the story of a young man (Horst Buchholz) torn between his dream of an adventurous life at sea and staying behind with the girl he loves." This is a condensed version of the Marcel Pagnol trilogy of French films from the 1930s, namely "Marius" (1931), "Fanny" (1932), and "Cesar" (1936), which Joshua Logan breathed new life into as the Broadway hit "Fanny" (1954) starring Florence Henderson. Mr. Logan dropped the stage musical's sing-a-longs, and brought his "Fanny" to the big screen. Thanks to exquisite location photography by Jack Cardiff, this is an excellent film. The four leads do very well in portraying the range of human interpersonal relations that made the original films so memorable.It was startling to hear film expert and TCM host Ben Mankiewicz reveal that this version was now "widely considered the best" of several Pagnol adaptations. That is big news in filmdom. I still believe the original 1930s films are far more majestic in scope. However, with this cast and crew, Logan could have attempted a more sweeping saga. Portraying love and loyalty, Ms. Caron is beautiful and excellent throughout. The veterans, Mr. Chevalier and Mr. Boyer, do what good actors do when a rare good role presents itself late in a career; they are a French treat.Most surprisingly effective is Mr. Buchholz - but after all, France and Germany are close. Buchholz would be considered the film's traditional leading man. Yet, the US "Academy Awards" nominated Boyer in the "Best Actor" category, while the "Golden Globe" nominators considered Chevalier to be the film's dramatic leading man. "Fanny" won a scattering of high critical honors, performing best in the annual "Film Daily" top fives, with high marks for the film (#4 for the year), Logan (#2 director), Caron (#4 "Best Actress"), and Boyer (#4 in the "Supporting Actor" category).******* Fanny (6/28/61) Joshua Logan ~ Leslie Caron, Horst Buchholz, Maurice Chevalier, Charles Boyer

Ending a decade-long string of gamine roles that started with her propitious debut as Gene Kelly's unattainable object of desire in Vincente Minnelli's "An American in Paris", Leslie Caron plays the title role, a poor 18-year-old Marseilles girl who helps her fortune-hunting mother sell fish on their boat stall on the waterfront. Even though she was thirty in real life, Caron is genuinely affecting in conveying the character's youthful vigor and romantic yearning. Directed by Joshua Logan ("Picnic") in his familiar overwrought manner, the time-spanning 1961 drama is really an intimate story that suffers somewhat from overly deliberate pacing and excessive length (it's 134 minutes long). Offsetting those flaws some lighthearted comic touches mainly in the first half, a sterling cast, and Jack Cardiff's ("Black Narcissus") vibrant, often painterly cinematography which brings a lustrous glow to the seaside setting.Adapted by Julius J. Epstein ("Casablanca") from Marcel Pagnol's famous Gallic trilogy, the story revolves around Fanny's pining for her lifelong love, Marius, the hot-tempered son of waterfront café owner Cesar. While he obviously loves Fanny, Marius has a greater passion to escape his humdrum life to become a seaman. He gets his golden opportunity when a scientific research vessel docks in Marseilles, and he can sign on for a five-year hitch. On the night before he leaves and with Fanny's mother away, they share a night of unbridled passion. Truly conflicted about his feelings for her, Marius leaves but only after Fanny tells him that she will marry the sixtyish Panisse, a lonely sailmaker who constantly locks horns with Cesar. The rest of the soap opera plot plays out the way you would think and eventually skips a decade to find that choices made are not as final as they seem.The movie is simply beautiful to look at, and even though Logan and Cardiff tend to rely on extreme close-ups for dramatic emphasis, the story is engaging. Despite the fact that she is playing a teenager for most of the film, Caron shows how she has truly evolved as an actress since her plucked-from-obscurity MGM debut. Fresh from his memorable role as a Mexican gunman in "The Magnificent Seven", German actor Horst Buchholz smolders appropriately as Marius although his character inevitably becomes more unsympathetic as the story unfolds. The scene stealers are Charles Boyer as Cesar and Maurice Chevalier as Panisse, both peaking in late-career roles that suit their distinctive personalities. This was the least known to me of the five 1961 Best Picture nominees (the others were "The Guns of Navarone", "The Hustler", "Judgment at Nuremberg" and the runaway winner, "West Side Story") – but is a Gallic-flavored gem well worth viewing now that it has been released on DVD. The 2008 package only includes as an extra a long trailer featuring Chevalier and Boyer and a separate CD of the film's soundtrack penned by Broadway composer Harold Rome.