User Reviews

An official dinner for the "Summit of French-speaking Countries" goes wrong, sending various excellencies to the hospital with food poisoning. One of the event planners is made into a scapegoat and fired, albeit with a generous golden handshake. A close friend convinces him to move to the Provence, together with his wife and children. The world of traditional winemaking beckons...

"La bastide bleue" is an entertaining lightweight comedy about a Parisian family moving to the Provence. Unsurprisingly, the decision has its drawbacks, with the family having to fend off ever more financial and administrative troubles. "La bastide" is the kind of feelgood comedy that wants to cheer and delight without stepping on too many toes. It is also wary of touching upon serious issues. The casting is apt, the actors do their best and the sunny scenery is as charming as a bunch of freshly cut lavender.

The movie's ending, with its "Fortune favors the brave" message, is pretty facile. In real life, our plucky protagonists might very well find themselves broke and/or homeless, as has happened to so many starry-eyed optimists before. By now the south of France must be a graveyard to the hopes and dreams of thousands.

Trigger warning : contains instances of highly aggressive interior design.