French-made children's feature from the producers of 'March of the Penguins'. Narrated by Kate Winslet, the film revolves around a little girl who encounters a fox on her way to school. The chance meeting marks the beginning of an incredible friendship as the barriers that separate humans and animals are broken down. The fox introduces her to a wild and secret world which will change her life forever. A fresh and quite beautiful film, The Fox And The Child feels old-fashioned in a good way, mixing as it does a nature documentary with the story of a young girl who makes friends, and tries to tame, a fox. It doesn’t do this in an irresponsible way, either, remembering to raise one or two alarm bells as it takes us on its fascinating journey. The Fox And The Child is also, it should be noted, the new film from Luc Jacquet, who previously achieved major international success with March of the Penguins. It’s blessed with similarly stunning photography, too, with very little spoken word save for Kate Winslet’s narration, allowing the outstanding visuals to take centre stage. Filmed in France, the camera soaks up the wonderful mountain landscape, and Jacquet allows it to linger and take in its majesty. It’s also a very patient and deliberately paced film, and that means that The Fox And The Child is inevitably suited to youngsters whose attention span does waiver within a matter of minutes. But it’s genuinely an adventure that the entire family can enjoy, and Jacquet ensures that it’s never less than engaging. Warmly recommended. --Jon Foster