The War from the Buttons (La Guerre des boutons)

A UGC Distribution discharge of a 1 World Films production, in colaboration with TF1 Droits Audiovisuels, TF1 Films, L'ensemble des Films du Gorak, using the participation of Backup Films, Hoche Artois Images, Ufilm, Ufund, TF1, TPS Star. (Worldwide sales: TF1 Intl, Paris.) Created by Matthew Gledhill. Executive producer, Marc du Pontavice. Directed, compiled by Yann Samuell, in line with the novel by Louis Pergaud.With: Eric Elmosnino, Mathilde Seigner, Fred Testot, Alain Chabat, Vincent Bres, Salome Lemire, Theo Bertrand, Tristan Vichard, Tom Rivoire, Louis Lefevbre, Victor le Blond, Arthur Garnier, June Maitre, Paloma Lebeaut, Theo Fernandez, Arno Feffer.Two bands of rowdy French kids from neighboring countryside towns duke it for supremacy using large mouths and small slingshots in "The War from the Buttons," the very first of two new adaptations of Louis Pergaud's novel. Occur 1960, scribe-helmer Yann Samuell's enjoyable pic uses the distant Algerian War like a backdrop to have an search for becoming an adult and saying a person's independence, without becoming excessively didactic or losing the sheer exuberance to be a ten-year-old. Sept. 14 opening was solid, however the rival adaptation, launched Sept. 21, will eat into its B.O. potential. After two Coco Chanel biopics, the "War from the Buttons" war is French cinema's latest clash of similarly designed films, here triggered because the 1912 novel's privileges fell in to the public domain lately. The Rabelais-esque tale is area of the French curriculum, though "War's" well known comes mostly from Yves Robert's oft-public film adaptation from 1962, which colored a bleak picture of existence within the French provinces (the storyline seemed to be shot in British by John Roberts in 1994). Whereas his friend Christopher Barratier has selected to create his new adaptation in the mid 1940s, Samuell ("Love Me should you Dare") has elected for 1960, permitting him to allow the war from the grown ups, the Algerian War, unspool mostly offscreen. From time to time, however, it's strongly introduced to existence in dialogue, most particularly once the father (Arno Feffer) from the only girl from the group, Lanterne (Salome Lemire), comes back home in the front and describes the disasters he's experienced to his neighbor, Lanterne's classmate Lebrac (Vincent Bres). Lebrac's teacher, Mr. Merlin (Eric Elmosnino), sees potential within the boy, though Lebrac's stern, widowed mother (Mathilde Seigner) wants him to help at their farm after which become a student, therefore the boy may bring home some much-needed dough. In Samuell's retelling, 10-year-old Lebrac may be the pivot which the storyline turns, with all of other figures existing mainly in relationship to him. This enables the scribe-helmer to check out teacher-pupil, mother-boy and boy-girl associations as the feud between Lebrac's gang which from the "Aztec" (Theo Bertrand), from the parish nearby, ferments (and from time to time explodes) without anyone's knowledge. The tactic provides the sprawling and episodic tale an effective focus, although it does mean that associations that do not involve Lebrac, like the competition between Mr. Merlin and the friend in the other village (Alain Chabat), will never be quite integrated. Styles of private liberty and responsibility run throughout, even though Samuell does not say anything new or deep on these subjects, they are doing provide further narrative glue. Properly, to have an adaptation of the book famous because of its flowery prose, the pic also will get lots of mileage from clever wordplay (frequently including swear words) that will need linguistic acrobatics in subtitles. Newcomer Lebres is bullets, equally credible like a rousing teen leader along with a pensive youth battling with large questions and issues. He's encircled with a ragtag gang of cute and able youngsters, as the grown ups are professional, with Elmosnino ("Gainsbourgh") the standout as Lebrac's sincere teacher. Lots of "War's" energy originates from its agile cutting and camerawork, which follows the children around because they play and fight, though Samuell from time to time goes overboard in the manipulation from the vibrant colors and saturation levels. A famous scene, by which Lebrac's gang fights naked to prevent getting their opponents stop their clothes' buttons as punishment (hence the title), is up-to-date to some a little more staid version here, imaginatively staged inside a area in which the wheat, just sufficient, doubles as fig leaves. Score by Klaus Badelt is not particularly memorable, and also the periodic utilization of electronic instruments does not jive using the pic's lightly nostalgic vibe.Camera (color, widescreen, 35mm-to-HD), Julien Hirsch editor, Sylvie Landra music, Klaus Badelt production designer, Pierre-Francois Limbosch costume designer, Charlotte now David seem (Dolby), Nicolas Cantin effects supervisor, Olivier p Laveleye stunt coordinator, Dominique Fouassier assistant director, Valerie Othnin-Girard casting, Stephane Batut, Julie Davod. Examined at Mon Cine, Anglet, France, Sept. 18, 2011. Running time: 109 MIN. Contact Boyd van Hoeij at news@variety.com