Jaques Demy was one of the great French directors. He was an instrumental part of the French New Wave. Early in his career, he wrote and directed two back-to-back musicals, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967). They are considered essential classics. Some many months ago my wife wanted to watch The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and so we did.
I didn’t love it.
I like musicals, more or less, but they aren’t my favorite. That’s not a genre I turn to all that often. I once tried to make musicals my theme of the month and I only watched about three of them.
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is a type of musical that has very little dialogue. Almost everything is sung. I’m not a lyrics guy so musicals are always a little problematic in that I tend to miss plot points when they are sung. When everything is sung I get lost pretty quickly. That’s apparently even true when they sing in French and there are subtitles.
But also there weren’t any showstoppers. The music was nice but there wasn’t a single song that left me humming after it was over. There was no “Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'” or “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat” or whatever.
It was a perfectly fine film, but I’m not sure what all the fuss is about.
When my wife wanted to watch The Young Girls of Rochefort I was none too excited, but I relented because I love her and I enjoy watching films with her.
I liked this one a lot better. There is quite a bit of actual dialogue which allowed me to follow the story more closely. The story itself is more interesting to me. It is light and frothy and a delight. It follows two sisters (real-life siblings Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorléac) as they look for love in the titular coastal town of France. Little do they know their true love is closer than they think.
Much like Umbrellas, The Young Girls of Rochefort is full of bright, pastel colors, and the costumes are very 1960s and very beautiful. It feels like this one is full of real songs too. Songs you’ll leave the theater singing. It also has Gene Kelly who is always a delight.
Loads of people love The Umbrellas of Cherbourg so I probably need to revisit it at some point. I suspect knowing what I’m getting into will help me enjoy its charms more. But for now I tip my hat to The Young Girls of Rochefort and delight in it fully.
themidnightcafe.org 
I’ve never watched Young Girls all the way through but I’ve seen Umbrellas several times.
Now I think I need to watch Young Girls.
Also, I don’t consider Umbrellas to be a musical. It’s more like an opera, like Jesus Christ, Superstar, where the entirety of the dialogue is sung.
I had the same thought, and meant to write something like that, but forgot.
I think Catherine Deneuve is wonderful, and a terrific actress. I just can’t do musicals! I have seen a few, but they just irritate me usually. Maybe the latter film wouldn’t so much.
It probably would. There is still a lot of singing and dancing in it. But they do actually stop and talk periodically.
Thanks Mat i appreciate your reviews, they sound lovely films. I like 60’s era stuff too, but musicals tend to induce a chill in my soul!
I also have trouble with lyrics, I feel your pain with the musicals
I have tried to watch a few, i thought i would like the Sweeney Todd one with Johnny Depp in. Some other people in it i liked, and i probably watched less than 15 minutes, and it was hurriedly switched off! I was once with a now ex girlfriend, when she thought Mamma Mia would be fun. I read a review of it to her that said Pierce Brosnan’s singing was cruel and unusual! I like him too, but i fled to the safety of the bedroom.
I get it. I really do. I’m not really a musical guy. I did work study in college at our dinner theater and had a blast and my wife loves them. I mean I do enjoy them, but they are not a genre I turn to on the regular.
It’s possibly they are suited for certain occasions, but i am with you.
Yes, I really don’t pay any attention to lyrics very often. There are songs from the 1980s that I’ve heard a million times, and I couldn’t for the life of me tell you what the lyrics are. I immediately think of Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” a song I love and have heard many, many times. But other than the title I couldn’t tell you a single lyric even if you put a gun to my head.