Marcel et Monsieur Pagnol was released in theaters on Wednesday. This is Sylvain Chaumet’s second film to be presented at Cannes out of competition after 2003’s Les Triplettes de Belleville, this time as part of the 2025 special screening. Sylvain Chaumet is also the first director to win a César for Best Animated Film, having created The Illusion in 2011.
In this new animated feature film, he tells the life of Marcel Pagnoli. At the age of 60, the latter should write a weekly column about her childhood for the women’s magazine Elle. Excited to return to his roots – writing – he has to deal with two previous plays that failed. While his memory sometimes fails and he doubts his own talent, he becomes a younger version of himself, Little Marcel. Together, the old man and the boy explore his life and relive his beautiful encounters and memories.
The highest rated movie is…
This is an opportunity to look back at the cinematic career of Marcel Pagnol, a major figure in French culture with many talents: writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and producer. He directed fifteen films that remain classics of French cinema today.
Among them, César, the third part of the famous Marseille trilogy (Marius, Fanny, César), is the only film directed by Paniol himself. For Marius and Fan, he used his talents as a screenwriter and producer, leaving the direction to other filmmakers.
Released in 1936, César continues to appeal to audiences and critics: on AlloCiné, it receives a rating of 4.4 out of 5, based on 1,279 ratings and 46 reviews, making it the highest-rated film in his filmography.
In recognition of his immense work, Pagnol received an honorary César posthumously in 1981, a tribute to a filmmaker who knew how to immortalize Provence and its characters with a unique sensitivity.
César concludes the famous Marseille trilogy. The film follows Marius’ return to Marseilles after years at sea and his confrontation with Cesar, his father, and Fanny, his lost love. Between family grudges, secrets and repressed passions, tensions erupt in the heat of the port of Marseille. Pagnoli combines humor, emotion and memorable dialogue, which is the hallmark of his unique style. This last part offers a poignant and human conclusion to this provincial fresco.
There we find emblematic actors such as Raimu as Cesar, Pierre Fresne as Marius and Fernand Sharpen as the legendary Honore Panis.
Viewers’ opinions
Selene from Club Allociné (5/5): After “Marius” and “Fan”, here is the third opus that completes the Marseillaise trilogy. This time, Panioli is directing this film himself. “César” is special because, in addition to directing the author, he also wrote the screenplay especially and for the first big screen (therefore the first two were “born” of the strong and original will of its author. Undoubtedly awakened by “Marius” and “Fanny”, Paniol tried his hand at other films after 1933, especially “Angèle” (1934). With this third film, the plot takes a leap After we find out that 20 years after the end of “The Fan”, son Cesariot has become a young man. And so the saga ends with family consequences, a reunion, a joke Canebière and especially this brilliant casting with Raimus always on top. This film was not adapted for the theater until 1946… This film beautifully concludes a coherent and magnificently written trilogy. The third masterpiece…”
Landofshit0 (5/5): “With César, Pagnoli closes the circle of his Marseille trilogy. As in the previous two parts, he takes care of the characters and the dialogues. If César is certainly the most exciting in the trilogy, the humor of the dialogues and characters is always there, even in the most dramatic moments. These films represent French human moments. There.”
Michael78420 (5/5): Brilliant! This movie released in 1936 is a monument. To see it in 2020, 84 years later, is to witness an era that belongs in history. Filmed in the midst of the Popular Front, 3 years before the outbreak of World War II, we are excited to follow the story of an already blended family. A very avant-garde statement for the time, redistributing traditional family roles. Pierre Fresne brought tears to my eyes with this sentence: “Maybe you weren’t my father, you always were my father and you always will be!”. What modernity! Absolutely (re)watch it!”
A critical argument with his son and this secret he keeps as iron-clad. We clearly point out the difference between this film and the previous two. Even if the main plot remains the same, it is less simple than the connection between the two previous ones. It really feels like a gap year story. We really don’t dare to believe the story of Marius and Fanny anymore, although we have hope after the disappearance of Panis… But Marius is too particular about the story and even meeting his son does not change the displeasure. At the end we begin to speculate about the famous “what if…”, “and if Marius hadn’t left”, “and if the fan had waited for him”… The ending almost leaves the door open for sequels that we would dream of, but which would have little more to say than life itself. I was sad that their lives were closing. To let go of his characters that I was so attached to. But I still enjoy watching these three films, imbued with the life of this Marseille, which I miss very much.”
VivaBFG (5/5): “How do you turn a rather banal story into a film that captivates you, captivates you, leaves an impression on you forever? You don’t know? Watch this trilogy! This is cinema at its best. Actors like you are rarely seen, beautifully crafted dialogues where not a word is out of place. This is at its best.
Everyone should see it to learn cinema.”
Source: Allocine

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.