GRADE: 9.5
Two sisters leave their small seaside town of Rochefort in search of romance. Hired as carnival singers, one falls for an American musician, while the other must search for her ideal partner.
Original Title: Les demoiselles de Rochefort
Director: Jacques Demy
Country of Origin: France
Thoughts:
A dazzling confection of a musical comedy where every element is utterly delightful. Catherine Deneuve and her sister, Françoise Dorléac, are wonderful together, and the songs by Legrande and Demy are witty, jazzy, and sophisticated. Demy’s brilliant palette keeps the eye candy coming scene after scene, and Norman Maen’s choreography is fun, naturalistic, and playful. The presence of Gene Kelly ties the film to the legendary Hollywood musicals it draws inspiration from, but The Young Girls of Rochefort is more than just a tribute—it pushes the boundaries, plays with the form, and constantly offers up intriguing innovations. The story, too, while seemingly a simple tale of star-crossed lovers forever failing to meet, is layered with interesting ideas and a wistful underlying notion that dreams seldom pan out the way they just barely manage to by the film’s conclusion. An absolute pleasure from beginning to end.