movies review: The Fox and the Child

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

The Review - AT THE MOVIES with DAN CARRIER
Published: 7 August 2008

Bertille Noel-Bruneau makes a new friend on her way to school in Luc Jacquet’s The Fox and the Child

The Fox and the Child -
Happy tale of little girl’s brush with a friendly fox

THE FOX AND THE CHILD
Directed by Luc Jacquet
Certificate U

THE relationship between biologists and the silver screen is rich.
Think Jacques Cousteau’s library of underwater epics, or how Gerald Durrell took clunky great cameras with him on his zoo-stocking expeditions.
David Attenborough set a benchmark for entertaining and educational film, taking viewers from their sofas to spy on funny-looking creatures in remote parts of the world.
Luc Jacquet represents the next generation of these film-makers who are experts on biology and possess an eye for a shot, and although The Fox and the Child is a fictional story, it stands on its ability to marry an endearing tale to breathtaking wildlife cinematography.
His documentary March of the Penguins was wonderful and although this follow-up is not as dramatic, the quality is there.
The story centres on the tale of a little girl (narrated by Kate Winslet) who walks through luscious mountains each day to and from school, and the animals she encounters.
One day a little fox crosses her path and our friend (played well by youngster Bertille Noël-Bruneau) is smitten. They become friends and bingo, a cute human-animal relationship develops.
It is part-wildlife documentary and part-fairy story, with some hard home truths about the cruel world we live in flagged up, too. It stands out from other children’s films this summer for its sheer originality, and kids will love it, despite it being too long. The set-up is ideal: a Heidi-like existence in the mountains where adults and their problems inhabit a different world.
Jacquet concedes much of the film is autobiographical. He grew up in the Jura mountains in eastern France. His was a childhood shaped by a fascination with wildlife: if it seems easy enough to project the thoughts of a 10-year-old girl, you can imagine he simply cast his mind back to being a kid again and went from there.

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment:

» Film Times
» Film Reviews
» Buy DVDs
» Rent DVDs