Review of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) by Andrew I — 25 Aug 2012

Apart from a rather catchy repetitive phrasing in the music, Deneuve's appearance for about half the film and a few classic Simcas, there is really little to recommend this. Quite unique in its operatic style it may be, but the super-predictable plot could easily be written on a postage stamp in thick marker pen.

It is actually almost identical in basic plotline to Cinema Paradiso, only that is brilliantly powerful and entertaining in parts whereas this is mostly not. As an 'opera', this doesn't quite work either - the music is well crafted, almost like Verdi at times, but the banal French lyrics simply do not fit well, are often innapropriate in mood and tone, hurting the pace and mood of the film too.

The English translation in the subtitles could've been sung along just as suitably, and for that matter, so could the Chinese, Finnish or Togalog. Apart from the two male leads, the singing is pretty whiny and annoying.

I had to watch this in several parts, and even then, I almost had to force myself at gunpoint to see it to le fin. 5.75/10.