Reviewed by Michael Edwards
Stars Bertille Noel-Bruneau, Isabelle Carre, Thomas Laliberte, Kate Winslet (Narrator, English version)
Written by Luc Jacquet & Eric Rognard
Produced by Yves Darondeau & Emmanuel Priou
Certification UK U
Runtime 92 minutes
Directed by Luc Jacquet
March of the Penguins director Luc Jacquet returns, surprisingly, with a fairy tale about a child who attempts to make friends with a fox. It's a slightly unexpected direction for a documentary director who once trained as a biologist, but somehow it has worked quite well. The plot itself is as simple as it sounds, a child becomes enthralled by a fox she spots one summer and sets out to befriend it. But, of course, all does not go smoothly and there is a deep moral lesson learned.
The main downfall of the film lies, for us anglophone viewers, in the bad dubbing and exagerrated narration by Kate Winslet. As a UK dweller I'm more used to seeing foreign films subtitled and, although I accept that as a film targeting children this might not be the most sensible option, I found it immensely frustrating to see the little girls lips far from synched with the dialogue, and to overhear occasionally very clunky and overbearing descriptions of the action unfolding. Nonetheless, the heart of the films lies in the visuals that create a completely enchanting ambience. Jacquets experience in documentary work shone through with a seemingly impossible combination of naturalistic animal experiences in almost tangible French countryside with bizarrely fantastical scenes such as the little girl falling asleep in the forest surrounded by friendly badgers, glow worms and the eponymous fox. A delightfully Snow White-esque moment but completely surreal in its total contrast with the documentary style cinematography.
As a pleasant fairy tale and as documentarists love letter to the natural world (as well as warning to those who wish to possess it) The Fox and the Child is a beautifully expressive work. It looks great, it is playful and it is filled with powerful moments. However, these are occasionally ruptured by the dubbing and narration, and I can't help but wonder whether as a childrens movie it just lacks that edge. There is very little action, all the intensity comes from the scenery, or from intense anticipation, it just isn't an action-packed roller coaster ride that normally grabs the attention of peoples little bundles of joy. So be warned, despite all of its charms it may be a bit of a fidgeter.