International Film: My Mother's Castle (France, 1990, 98 minutes)

Rare is the film that dares to entertain without guns, computerized graphics, seamy sex, or maudlin sentimentality. My Mother's Castle is such a film. Based on the memoirs of filmmaker and writer Marcel Pagnol, it celebrates the joys of family life in an age when the world spun slowly on its axis and little boys hearkened to the chirp of a cricket. The film follows the adventures of the Pagnol family on their weekend outings at a cottage in the hills surrounding Marseilles, France, in the first decade of the 20th century. They awaken to forest sounds and beckoning sunlight, eat at a table under a leafy canopy, and sleep in the quiet security of love. If only we, the viewers, could be with them. The film's script is outstanding, delivering gentle wit and poignant insights. The cinematography reveals the beauty of the Provençal countryside as well as the charm of a smiling child. Though the film is clearly nostalgic, it never stoops to artifice to achieve its effects.--All Movie Guide. Sponsored by the Friends of the Cranford Public Library.