Le Château de Ma Mère [My Mother’s Castle] ***** (1990, Julien Ciamaca, Philippe Caubère, Nathalie Roussel) – Classic Movie Review 9297

Director Yves Robert’s 1990 Le Château de Ma Mère [My Mother’s Castle] is the glorious sequel to La Gloire de Mon Père [My Father’s Glory].

Julien Ciamaca is superb as the teenager Marcel Pagnol, who returns to the Provençal countryside each year for a series of summer holidays with his family. One year, he neglects his friendship with village lad (Joris Molinas) when he becomes spellbound by his new young chum Isabelle Cassignole (Julie Timmerman), the pretentious and conceited daughter of Adolphe Cassignole (Jean Rochefort).

The perfect playing and the wonderful handling of all these miniaturist matters and concentrated characters combine to bring back all the pangs and joys of childhood. Again, director Yves Robert makes it all look so easy and so beguiling.

The screenplay by Yves Robert, Jérôme Tonnerre and Louis Nucéra is based on the work of Marcel Pagnol.

The main cast are Philippe Caubère, Nathalie Roussel, Didier Pain, Thérèse Liotard, Julien Ciamaca, Victorien Delamare, Julie Timmerman, Joris Molinas, Jean Rochefort, Paul Crauchet, Philippe Uchan, Patrick Préjean, Pierre Maguelon, Michel Modo, Jean Carmet, Georges Wilson, Raoul Curet, Maxime Lombard, René Loyon and Ticky Holgado, with the voice of Jean-Pierre Darras.

Le Château de Ma Mère [My Mother’s Castle] is directed by Yves Robert, runs 98 minutes, is made by Gaumont, Gaumont Production, Les Productions de la Guéville, TF1 Films Productions and Centre National du Cinéma et de L’image Animée (CNC), released by Gaumont (1990) (France) and Orion Classics (1991) (US), is written by Yves Robert, Jérôme Tonnerre and Louis Nucéra, based on the novel by Marcel Pagnol, shot in Eastmancolor by Robert Alazraki, produced by Alain Poiré, scored by Vladimir Cosma and designed by Jacques Dugied.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9297

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