Cinema listings with film information and movie reviews
The King And The Mockingbird (Le Roi Et L'Oiseau)
A welcome re-issue of Paul Grimault's charming 1980 animated feature based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale The Shepherdess And The Chimney Sweep. King Charles V + III = VIII + VIII = XVI (voiced by Pascal Mazzotti) rules over the kingdom of Takicardia with an iron fist and is universally hated by his subjects. He is cross-eyed, though the people do not dare mention it, and his arch nemesis is a Mockingbird (Jean Martin), whose wife was slain by the monarch. King Charles is madly in love with a Shepherdess (Agnes Viala), who features in paintings that adorn his walls. Unfortunately, she is in love with the Chimney Sweep (Renaud Marx), whose painting also adorns the king's palace. At night, the pictures come to life and the Shepherdess and Chimney Sweep attempt to escape from Charles's clutches but the king's self-portrait won't allow them to leave without a fight.
