I have a penchant for high-quality period films, especially those in French. So, when Eugénie Grandet was strongly recommended by a friend, it became a must see for me.
The movie was written and directed by novelist Marc Dugain after Honoré de Balzac’s literary masterpiece of the same title. It was released in September 2021 and is not yet available in the United States. But, keep an eye out for it because it’s beautifully produced and utterly captivating. I am confident it will eventually make it’s way to a streaming platform.
It tells the story of Felix Grandet who reigns supreme in his modest house in Saumur where his wife and daughter Eugenie lead a distraction-free existence. With extraordinary greed, he does not look favorably on anyone who expresses an interest his daughter’s hand and anything else that could diminish the colossal fortune he hides from everyone. The sudden arrival of Grandet’s nephew, an orphaned and ruined Parisian dandy, turns Eugénie’s life upside down.
I’ll say no more in the hopes you are able to see how the story unfolds for yourself.
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