The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Tags

1960's, Anne Vernon, Catherine Deneuve, Drama, Foreign Language Film, Jacques Demy, Marc Michel, Musical, Nino Castelnuovo, Romance, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

Director

Jacques Demy

Starring

• Catherine Deneuve as Geneviève Emery
• Nino Castelnuovo as Guy Foucher
• Anne Vernon as Madame Emery
• Marc Michel as Roland Cassard

A colourful but also melancholy musical of love and circumstances changing it, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is if nothing else an experience from beginning to end. This is largely down to the tribute to old musicals and the undercutting of it with an aching sadness not often seen in films of that nature.

In the French town of Cherbourg, 1957, where it seems to rain almost constantly, a passionate love is at play between 17-year-old Geneviève Emery and mechanic Guy Foucher. Geneviève works in her mother’s umbrella shop that is about to go into financial dire straits. The love shared between Geneviève and Guy is intense and idealistic with them hardly going a minute without thinking of the other. But, the mother of Geneviève disapproves of the relationship and wants her daughter to marry for security. Guy and Geneviève plan to marry and have a daughter, but fate has different plans. Around this time, Guy is drafted to serve in the Algerian War, meaning that he will be separated from his beloved for a long time. After a farewell of spending the night together and saying goodbye at the train station, Geneviève learns she is pregnant and is left in a predicament. Her mother has the idea to marry diamond merchant Roland Cassard, who is entranced by Geneviève. The marriage is to be one of convenience and after hearing only once from Guy, Geneviève makes her decision. Her decision in the end has far-reaching consequences and a different outcome than expected for her and Guy.

Jacques Demy was clearly a man with a vision to use certain tropes from classic Hollywood and mould them into something different and beguiling for us all. His eye for colours and unorthodox approach present his vision to us in a glorious way. His prowess crafts a story that’s enchanting as it is tragic and totally spellbinding. Moments really stick with you from this film. The collection of colourful umbrellas that cover the titles, the love shared between the lovers at the heart of things and a really tear inducing farewell at the train station. As the lovers are parted and the camera pulls away from their embrace, leaving Geneviève alone, the music swells to heavenly heights and shows the power of cinema over emotions .While a musical, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is anything but traditional. For starters, every word is sung, no matter if it’s just something mundane. This brings with it a level of fantasy, that is counteracted by the seriousness of subject matter and the ultimate tragedy of it all. We really feel every word sung because of its intensity and sincerity on show. The colour design that really pops with candy and pastel shades in every lovingly rendered frame also acts as a juxtaposition to the sadness of the central love story and the way life doesn’t always work out for us. The main story is quite simple when you look at it, but it’s the telling of it that truly makes it the classic it is revered as. It’s a boy meets girl situation told with sophistication and something that alternates between nostalgic romance and heartfelt loss. It may look like the kind of Technicolor extravaganza that MGM where so good at making back in the day, but under the surface is a real feeling of something bittersweet. This adds to the beauty of the film as it isn’t part and parcel and here’s your happy ending, it goes down another path that I respect. Cherbourg is not afraid to defy convention in its own way. Now no mention of this film would be complete without mentioning the ever-present score from Michel Legrand. As every line of dialogue is sung, a nice rhythm is established in proceedings. The most haunting refrain that translates into English as ‘I Will Wait For You’ is the music you’ll remember the most for its romanticism and ambience. Believe me, it will take a while to shake.

This is the film that introduced the world to Catherine Deneuve and what an introduction. She gives a gentle, charming and melancholy performance that really touches you. It’s all in her angelic face and soulful eyes as she goes through the pain of love and circumstance. Nino Castelnuovo is equally as good, finding hopes and dreams in Guy’s face and his outlook, which eventually gets changed over the years. The two really sell the romance and idealism of the couple, which says a lot considering that they spend large stretches of the film apart. Their first interactions are gorgeously played, while there is a more serious tone when they meet years later. It’s the kind of chemistry many movies dream of having between a romantic pair. Anne Vernon and Marc Michel round out the cast, but it’s the romantic two at heart of the movie that you’ll remember.

An unusual but wholly engaging and moving undertaking by the talented Jacques Demy and his visual(not to mention musical team), The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is classic movie watching for all.

The Hunger

Tags

1980's, Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Erotic Horror, Horror, Susan Sarandon, The Hunger, Tony Scott

Film Title

The Hunger

Director

Tony Scott

Starring

• Catherine Deneuve as Miriam Blaylock
• David Bowie as John Blaylock
• Susan Sarandon as Dr. Sarah Roberts

A stylish vampire horror with lots of 80’s excess and blood, The Hunger is also a very mixed film in terms of quality and watch ability. For all its visual panache and atmosphere, with the added bonus of a good cast, The Hunger in the end left me wanting something more from it and I felt that there was something missing from it.

Miriam Blaylock is a centuries old vampire who has the ability to bestow immortality on people she takes as consorts to ease her loneliness. Her current companion is John Blaylock, who has been with her for two hundred years travelling from domain to domain. The two are now in New York in a high-rise apartment, which they use to lure back unsuspecting victims to feed on their blood at least once a week. John believes that his youthful appearance will last forever but soon learns that it doesn’t. He will in fact live forever, but Miriam has not told him that his physical appearance will drastically wither away. Soon enough, John’s appearance begins to age at an alarming rate. Wanting help, he seeks out Dr. Sarah Roberts, a determined scientist who studies cases of advanced aging. At first she dismisses him, but after witnessing him age in just over two hours, she is shocked and wants to help. Unlucky for John, the aging continues and Miriam buries him in a coffin, alongside her other lovers over the years who are cursed to live forever but age horribly. Sarah is soon drawn into Miriam’s life and becomes bewitched by the alluring woman. And Miriam is now looking for a new lover and sees the perfect partner in Sarah. So on one of the their meetings, the seductive Miriam seduces Sarah and binds her to her by feeding on her blood. Sarah, who was unaware of this act, begins to develop worrying symptoms and begins to crave blood, leading to a gruesome, blood-soaked showdown with the imperious Miriam.

I’ll begin by going through the things that I took issue with and could have been improved on first. While The Hunger does have some thematic value, I always felt that the story and themes could have been pushed a little further than the finished results. The theme of immortality and the search for youth is an interesting one, but it gets swallowed up by the visuals and doesn’t really stand a chance. The pace of this movie can be really slow as a snail and meandering when it should have been a bit quicker. I understand going for a slow burn, but this really takes it a bit too far. The ending of the film also feels more than a little forced and undoes some of the intrigue that the film has built up but can’t sustain. In conclusion to the negatives, The Hunger just has that feeling of being hollow and not really reaching much of a worthy conclusion.

It must be said on the positives that The Hunger heralded the rise of Tony Scott as a stylish director with a keen eye. Everything in The Hunger is photographed with a certain gloss, that ties in with the setting of 80’s glamour and decadence. He masterfully inter cuts scenes to create visual symmetry and atmosphere. From rippling curtains, misty lenses and quick cutting, The Hunger is in the category of films that have a stunning impact on the eyes. I must day that the effects still stand up today, particularly when John begins to rapidly age. Scott does manage to tap into some of the themes in the story and certainly brings a darkly perverse and erotic core to it. I was similarly impressed by the way he updated vampire lore, instead of having the same old types of vampires we have seen a thousand times. The vampires here mingle into society, don’t seem to have an aversion to sunlight, have no fangs that we see and instead of biting the necks of victims they use a small knife to slit the throat and then proceed to feed. A perfect example of this is the striking opening scenes in which Miriam and John cruise around a dark nightclub and take home two unwitting victims to seduce and then feed their need. The style, music and visuals all fit together to give this opening scene a hell of an impact. Also worth mentioning is the seduction scene between Miriam and Sarah, as slow motion sensuality and a more sinister undertone perfectly mix to exotic effect, accompanied by the strains of opera. The unusual music score has a ghostly but strangely romantic twist to it and it makes for a chilling listen.

Catherine Deneuve is at the height of her icy and aloof powers here portraying the eternally beautiful Miriam, who is fond of company due to living for so long. There are glimmers of sadness that Deneuve brings out in subtle ways, but she’s most impressive when being alluring and poised, a vampire femme fatale whose kiss and appearance alone brings a hypnotic impact to those around her, in particular Sarah. David Bowie elicits a whole lot of sympathy as the aging John, who comes to see that he’s been spun a lie about how long he will remain youthful. The scene when he ages alarmingly fast is all the more sad for Bowie’s moving delivery of this betrayed man. Susan Sarandon is full of sensuality and curiosity as she becomes the latest victim of Miriam’s affections. Sarandon is also adept at displaying the fear that Sarah goes through as her body changes due to her sexual encounter with the icy Miriam.

So while the atmosphere and gloss of The Hunger is intoxicating, this doesn’t add up to the most riveting movie out there and it emerges as one that needed some other spark to ignite some form of interest.

 

8 Women

Tags

2000's, 8 Women, Catherine Deneuve, Comedy, Danielle Darrieux, Drama, Emmanuelle Beart, Fanny Ardant, Firmine Richard, Foreign Language Film, Francois Ozon, Isabelle Huppert, Ludivine Sagnier, Murder Mystery, Musical, Mystery, Virginie Ledoyen

Film Title

8 Women

Director

François Ozon

Cast

• Danielle Darrieux as Mamy
• Catherine Deneuve as Gaby
• Isabelle Huppert as Augustine
• Emmanuelle Béart as Louise
• Fanny Ardant as Pierrette
• Virginie Ledoyen as Suzon
• Ludivine Sagnier as Catherine
• Firmine Richard as Madame Chanel

A deliciously mounted film featuring a once in a lifetime cast of French actresses, 8 Women is part comedy, murder mystery and musical. With the skill at directing females of George Cukor, the melodramatic colours of Douglas Sirk and the cat and mouse mystery of Agatha Christie, François Ozon has crafted a highly enjoyable film that is a funny, homage laden and joyous tribute to those films that people say  “They just don’t make them like this anymore”.

The setting is a wealthy country estate in the 1950’s. It is the middle of winter and the film begins upon the arrival of the sweet-natured Suzon. She is the daughter of the owner, the glamorous Gaby and her husband Marcel. Also occupying the house are the elderly grandmother Mamy, Gaby’s waspish sister Augustine, Suzon’s bookish sister Catherine, the pouting maid Louise and loyal cook Madame Chanel. All is well until Marcel is discovered murdered in his bed, a knife in his back. Sending shock waves though the house, each woman tries to figure out who committed the murder. The group becomes bigger by the mysterious arrival of Pierrette, the dead man’s sister and rumoured lady of the night. To make matters worst the weather halts any attempt at leaving the estate and the phone lines are cut so there is no contact with the outside world, it is soon deduced that the murderer is amongst the women. As the film progresses, skeletons begin to rattle in each character’s closet as the truth is neared. Who murdered the rich man? You’ll have to view the film to see the answer to that. What ensures is a fun-filled extravaganza of a film, that gives the eight talented actresses chances to flex both their comedic and dramatic muscles.

Francois Ozon firstly captures the decor and costume of the era, with lavish colour symbolising the hidden desires beneath alleged respectability. When the actresses burst into song it seems natural and free, not manufactured or tailored. Each actress is given a time to shine with the musical numbers, the highlights being Ardant’s sexy number in which she invokes Rita Hayworth glamour and Denueve’s slinky but mournful rendition. Even if the mystery angle doesn’t engross you in this pastiche, it is hard to fault the octet of talented women, who all turn in performances of great quality. Stealing the show is Isabelle Huppert as the highly strung and jealous matron Augustine, her presence reminds one of an angry wasp who instead of stinging attacks with vicious, acidic comments. This shows a funny side to Huppert and her unacknowledged gift for comedy. The grand dame of French Cinema, Danielle Darrieux adds class and humour as the secretive grandmother with a taste for drink and a penchant for lying. Catherine Deneuve gleefully sends up her ice maiden image as the glamorous mother Gaby, her catfight with Ardant a delightfully, melodramatic moment. Fanny Ardant sizzles across the screen as the unpopular Pierrette, who just can’t help but shake up things for the women during the investigation. The stunning Emmanuelle Béart has fun as the seductive chambermaid Louise, who resents her position within the house but is secretly guarding the nature of her relationship with the deceased. Virginie Ledoyen and Ludivine Sagnier impress amongst prestigious company as the daughters of the murdered man, Ledoyen showing a sweetness that masks an inner turmoil and Sagnier conjuring up the frivolous and boundless energy of her young murder obsessed character. Rounding out the cast is Firmine Richard as the loyal cook Chanel, bringing a dignity to her loving character.

Despite referencing many other genres and filmmakers, Ozon’s film retains originality in the execution of it. It is very hard to think of a recent film that balances a multitude of themes, stars and genres and emerge so successfully in the process.If you haven’t viewed this frothy pastiche to the 50’s and sleuthing crime novels, I advise you to as there isn’t in a film in my memory that is like it.

Belle de Jour

Tags

1960's, Belle de Jour, Catherine Deneuve, Drama, Foreign Language Film, Luis Bunuel, Psychological Drama, Surreal

Film Title

Belle de Jour

Director

Luis Bunuel

Cast

• Catherine Deneuve as Severine Serizy
• Jean Sorel as Pierre Serizy
• Michel Piccoli as Henri Husson
• Genevieve Page as Madame Anais
• Pierre Clementi as Marcel

Belle de Jour is one of Luis Bunuel’s most surreal films. Focusing on the fantasies of a bourgeoise housewife who has a double life as a prostitute, it boasts an excellent performance from Catherine Deneuve as well as a deft hand at revealing the surreal nature of hallucinations and entwining them with the everyday.  It is truly an example of world cinema that needs to be seen for movie buffs.

Severine Serizy is the beautiful wife of a successful doctor Pierre living in a chic apartment. Although in love with Pierre, she is frigid and unable to experience intimacy with him. Little does Pierre know that Severine has many wild fantasies going on in her head, many of which are masochistic. After hearing a friend of Pierre mention a brothel, a curious Severine goes to visit. It is there that she is given the name Belle de Jour by the Madame , the name translates  into English as beauty of the day. Her name comes from the flower of the same name and the fact that she begins work as a prostitute between the hours of 2 and 5. Although she is at first hesitant about her job, she eventually gains satisfaction from it. It is in the boudoirs of the brothel that Severine’s wild and strange fantasies come to life, and we watch her lead a double life as an icy, aloof housewife and prostitute. Her double life becomes complicated when she catches the eye of volatile gangster Marcel, who wants the beautiful woman all to himself.

Bunuel’s film is certainly erotic, yet never explicit, letting the audience think about the events in the brothel. As Severine’s fantasies begin to run wild, they become almost a reality. It is through this technique that Bunuel crafts this perverse fable, as the audience is left to wonder what is real and what is in the icy Severine’s mind. The many instances of her imagination are surreal and startling, as apparent in the famous opening sequence. In it, Severine and Pierre are riding in a horse-drawn carriage, when Pierre suddenly gets it to stop.  He instructs the horseman to tie Severine to a nearby tree and whip her mercilessly. The scene then cuts to a contented Severine in her bedroom, telling Pierre she was thinking of him. Was it a dream or not? That is precisely the point as Bunuel cloaks the film in ambiguity and enigmas, making the film one that can be read on various levels. Catherine Deneuve turns in a startling performance, revealing the inner desires of Severine through the tiniest gestures and facial expressions. She is by turns enigmatic, erotic and strange, all of this is a testament to her abilities as an actress as we are left to wonder what is really going on underneath her glacial exterior. Her performance is one that lingers long in the memory because of its effectiveness. Although the film can be read as an account of a warped mind, it can also be seen as a parable on the link between the respectability and debauchery. Colours are used effectively to convey Severine’s freedom and erotic desires that come alive when working and the various costumes worn by Deneuve are stunning.

Truly an iconic example of surrealism and sexuality, highlighted by Deneuve’s portrayal of the eponymous beauty, Belle de Jour is a strange, enthralling psychological drama that will haunt the memory like a refrain long after you’ve seen it.

Repulsion

Tags

1960's, Apartment Trilogy, Catherine Deneuve, Horror, Psychological Thriller, Repulsion, Roman Polanski

Film Title

Repulsion

Director

Roman Polanski

Cast

• Catherine Deneuve as Carol Ledoux
• Yvonne Furneaux as Helen Ledoux
• Ian Hendry as Michael
• John Fraser as Colin
• Patrick Wymark as Landlord

Commonly seen as one of the best examples of psychological horror, Polanski’s Repulsion still remains an unsettling tale of one woman’s descent into mental ruin. Atmospheric and horrific in equal measure, it is a film that leaves a deep impression on the viewer and makes them ask many questions when the film has finished. Polanski has fashioned a film that takes the place where most people feel safe, the home, and turned it into a nightmare of the senses. The use of this is eerily effective and makes the whole film more plausible and supremely chilling.

Carol Ledoux is a young manicurist from France who lives with her sister in a London apartment. Although highly attractive, she is sexually unaware and repulses all men for an unexplained reason. She practically day dreams her way through the day, barely making conversation with anyone and rejecting the gestures of her suitor. When her more confident sister ,Helen mentions she is going away on a trip with her smarmy boyfriend, Carol is filled with panic at the thought of being left alone. Dismissing her sisters worry as her being merely sensitive, Helen leaves Carol by herself. What ensures is a shocking disintegration of Carol’s mind, as her fears become a reality in the squalid apartment and she slowly but surely starts to crumble in a macabre fashion.

A young Catherine Deneuve is heartbreaking and pitch perfect as the repressed, withdrawn and frigid Carol. Her character does not talk much, but her face and body shows every confused and emotional thing she is going through and makes her startling performance both frightening and intense. The whole film is anchored by her portrayal and keeps the viewer glued as she sinks deeper and deeper into a delusional mental state. She is most effective when her face is almost catatonic and her eyes don’t betray what she is feeling, this makes the audience wonder what is really going on in her head. The camerawork should be praised, the way it follows Carol like a stalking predator adds to the paranoia she suffers and the unsettling feeling she feels around men in society. The music used is interesting because of its piercing changes in tempo and sound that give only subtle insights into the troubled and confused mind of Carol; many other uses of sound are used to add to the isolation such as an unanswered phone ringing and the sound of bells from the nunnery behind the apartment taking on a sinister tone before the midnight hour. Everyday objects such as a crack in the wall and the constant ticking of a clock become forms of torture as she continues to crumble into a catatonic state and hallucinate about the thing around her.

A genuinely chilling story of delusion, repression and isolation that slowly builds its way up to a violent climax, Repulsion is psychological filmmaking at its best. If you enjoy this film, then you can’t go wrong with the rest of Polanski’s Apartment Trilogy, consisting of Rosemary’s Baby and The Tenant. These films continue with themes similar to Repulsion and make for nerve shredding viewing.

What are your favourite performances in a horror film?

Tags

Catherine Deneuve, Horror, Jack Nicholson, Mia Farrow, Sissy Spacek

I often think that performances can get overlooked in a horror film as a result of the scares of it. But I do think there are some effective performances that manage to stand out. So, what is your favourite performance from a horror film, whatever your opinion is please comment.

The performances off the top of my head, that I consider memorable and effective in a horror film are;

• Jack Nicholson as a writer who starts to lose his mind in a sinister hotel in  The Shining

• Catherine Deneuve as a repressed manicurist who begins to mentally crumble when left alone in her London apartment in Repulsion

• Mia Farrow as a naive newlywed who becomes convinced her neighbours have evil designs for her unborn child in Rosemary’s baby

• Sissy Spacek as a victimized young girl who uses her telekinetic powers to gain revenge on her tormentors in  Carrie