Autumn Tale MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +2 Content: +2 1/2

The good news about Autumn Tale is its funny, charming love story and PG rating. The bad news for box office success, however, is middle-aged lead characters and French dialogue with English subtitles. Isabelle (Marie Riviere) is happily married and excited about her daughters upcoming marriage. She wishes her best friend, Magali (Beatrice Romand), a divorced mom of two grown children, would not spend so much time running her vineyard so she could enjoy a social life. Magali has also won the admiration and affection of her sons girlfriend, Rosine (Alexia Portal), who admits she cares much more about Magali than she does about Leo. Unbeknownst to Magali and each other, Isabelle and Rosine both decide to do a little matchmaking for their hard-working, lonely friend. Isabelle places a personal ad in a newspaper for a prospective boyfriend/husband, while Rosine tries to arrange a meeting between her former boyfriend, a college professor (Didier Sandre), and Magali. Magnificent scenes of the French countryside add to the charm of AUTUMN TALE, a comfortable date movie for those who like nice and easy.

Rosines conversations with both her older former boyfriend and Leo allude to sexual involvement, but there are no inappropriate love scenes. When Leo asks Rosine to move in with him, she refuses because she knows she is not in love with him. Isabelles genuine concern for her friend Magali is demonstrated by carefully interviewing the men responding to her newspaper ad. She pretends she is the one looking for a boyfriend, and carefully screens each one. The contrast between Isabellas close and loving family and Magalis disappointing attempts to connect with her two distant, cold children illustrates the importance of mending broken family relationships. One reason Preview can recommend this film is its lack of foul language. Unless something was missed in reading the subtitles, there are no obscenities or profanities in the dialogue. It is rather ironic, but also refreshing, that this love story for and about mature adults has a PG designation. AUTUMN TALEs lighthearted romantic theme offers a welcome relief for audiences often appalled by recent sex-filled, crude romantic comedies.

Preview Reviewer: Mary Draughon
Distributor: October Films