Les parapluies de Cherbourg [The Umbrellas of Cherbourg]
Director: Jacques Demy
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo, Anne Vernon
First foreign language and musical film of the project (a double whammy!).
This was unlike any music I have ever seen. First of all, it was the first musical I've ever seen that is not in English. Second, all of the dialogue was sung, it was non stop music. Third, it was very realistic.
I'm not saying all musicals are uppers (West Side Story?), but this one was special. It was the three act story of a boy and girl who fall in love, but the boy is drafted into the army. This sounds like your typical Rogers and Hammerstein plot, but it did not unfold in any typical way. This move was so bittersweet and real. This is what a Wes Anderson musical would be like. The characters were complex, melodramatic, and relatable. The film ends with an incredible moment that is horribly heartbreaking, yet comfortably honest at the same time.
This film was, of course, Kaylen's choice. it was right up her alley. The set design, costumes, and entire color scheme were like something made specifically for her. From a technical standpoint, the movie kept my interest. Interesting shots and camera movement gave the film a sophisticated feel (or maybe it was all the French that did that). The opening credits were beautiful and immediately grabbed my attention and didn't let go until the end of the film.
Overall, this is one of the best musicals I have ever seen. I highly recommend it.
Lesson learned: Things don't always turn out how we want them to, but that's not necessarily bad.
PS- Some of the film's sad music was used for the most heartbreaking sequence ever in a cartoon, the ending bit from Futurama's "Jurassic Bark".
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