Editorial Review:

Description:
A wonderfully entertaining musical fantasy, THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT features big-screen legend Gene Kelly (THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT) and international star Catherine Deneuve (BELLE DE JOUR) in a delightfully lighthearted story about two charming sisters waiting for their perfect love to arrive! In the picturesque seaside village of Rochefort, Delphine (Deneuve) teaches dance while her twin Solange (Francoise Dorleac) composes and gives piano lessons. As the girls dream of success and romance in the far-off big city, they don't realize that true love may be just around the corner! An exuberant musical treat that earned rave reviews from critics everywhere, this beloved classic has been beautifully restored to its original magnificence!

Amazon.com:
The French director Jacques Demy scored a worldwide hit in 1964 with The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a bittersweet candy-colored romance in which all the dialogue was set to music. Equally enchanting is the musical that reunited Demy with the star and composer of Umbrellas, Catherine Deneuve and Michel Legrand. The film is The Young Girls of Rochefort, an effervescent concoction about traveling players and dreamy-headed demoiselles in a seaside town. Deneuve and her real-life sister, Françoise Dorléac (who died in a car accident not long after the movie was made), play twins who fantasize about life in Paris. But before they leave town, they are distracted by the weekend fair and its colorful singers and dancers. They're also destined to meet an American composer--gloriously, it's Gene Kelly, carrying the aura of classic MGM musicals in his lighter-than-air wake. He was 55 at the time, but much younger in movie years. (Another American, George Chakiris, also dances his way through the film.) Legrand's music isn't as powerful as his Cherbourg score, and some of the choreography would fit right into an Austin Powers discotheque sequence. And the costumes--well, the excesses of '60s mod designs have not aged well. Yet the crazy hairstyles and vinyl boots fit right into the film's sense of gleeful fun. There is a sunny, daffy spirit to this movie that becomes positively infectious. It deserves to be better known. (Try to catch a widescreen version, if possible.) --Robert Horton

Will Delphine meet the sailor who painted her portrait without ever seeing her? Will Mr. Dame (you heard right) reconnect with the woman who dumped him years ago? Will Solange run into Gene Kelly ever again? Of course they will, this is a movie. But you'll have to be patient and slog through elevator muzak by Michel Legrand (not his best); mediocre, repetitious dance numbers; and a silly subplot about a geezer who turns out to be an axe murderer (say what?). On the plus side, the skies are always bright blue (no need for umbrellas, hint hint) and the two Dorleac sisters (Catherine, later Deneuve and Francoise) are adorable and traipse around in skimpy attire showing off their delightful figures. In this picture, Cathy is sweet and charming and doesn't do her ice queen bit. Fran flaunts her freckles and red hair and just has a good time--if you believe she can compose music, as the movie claims, there's a famous bridge available for sale, cheap. It's too bad she couldn't find someone to drive her to the airport that fateful day or else she might have lived to make more movies.

Average Rating:

Rating: - fun but fluffy
Will Delphine meet the sailor who painted her portrait without ever seeing her? Will Mr. Dame (you heard right) reconnect with the woman who dumped him years ago? Will Solange run into Gene Kelly ever again? Of course they will, this is a movie. But you'll have to be patient and slog through elevator muzak by Michel Legrand (not his best); mediocre, repetitious dance numbers; and a silly subplot about a geezer who turns out to be an axe murderer (say what?). On the plus side, the skies are always bright blue (no need for umbrellas, hint hint) and the two Dorleac sisters (Catherine, later Deneuve and Francoise) are adorable and traipse around in skimpy attire showing off their delightful figures. In this picture, Cathy is sweet and charming and doesn't do her ice queen bit. Fran flaunts her freckles and red hair and just has a good time--if you believe she can compose music, as the movie claims, there's a famous bridge available for sale, cheap. It's too bad she couldn't find someone to drive her to the airport that fateful day or else she might have lived to make more movies.

Rating: - My favorite movie.
If you are so disposed as to be willing to accept it, joy should follow each and every viewing of this excellently bright movie. Do you need an uplifting plot for an uplifting musical? How about several main characters yearning to find their soulmates? Yet there is plenty of plain fun and humor here too. What you also get is an exquisite cast, bright colors, exceptional cinematography, dance that you no longer see, and lots and lots of great music to transfer you out of the doldrums. Yeah, there are quite a few dancers in Go-Go boots. Maybe it's satire; maybe the producers got a good deal. But you know that you are in the 60's. It's French, it's American, and in the end it's just a whole lot of joyful charm. For the first viewing (if you don't already know), I recommend that you turn the subtitles off and subject yourself to the beautiful French language. The actors are obviously having fun, and this is what puts this film over the top. P.S. Is Gene Kelly too old for Francoise Dorleac? One of the main themes here seems to be that with artistic soulmates, the usual rules do not apply. Check out William Henderson's excellent (if a bit difficult) book "The Science of Soulmates". Also check out Francoise's look when she first sees Gene...priceless?...a hint of the eternal? Furthermore, Kelly's performance is nothing short of sublime.

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Rating: - Charming, if a little creaky
French director, Jacques Demy, created charming worlds on film that could never really exist. Every film of his I've seen seems absolutely set in the surreal. This film is no exception. While it takes place in modern day (for the time - late 1960s) it has no relationship to any reality I've ever known. Everyone sings constantly and things happen that could not possibly happen but if you go with it, it's a lovely ride. At it's heart, it's the delightful story of two stunningly beautiful sisters (Catherine Deneauve and Francoise Dorleac) and their wish for true love to find them. Add in the unexpected American cast members of George Chakiris and Gene Kelly (of all people!), and you've got a musical unlike any other you have seen. The musical score by Michel Legrand is whimsically seductive and memorable.

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Rating: - Wonderful, Light Musical
Gene Kelly fans will not be disappointed! He's a little older in this piece and sings in French, but it just as delightful to watch as in his younger days!
- The movie is sung from beginning to end (operetta?)
- All characters sing in French, the subtitles are lovely and poetic
- The music is very light and has a catchy theme throughout
- Like American movies of the era, the movie has beautiful colors and cinematography
- This is a love story that I feel is easy to follow and keeps you interested throughout, highly recommended!

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Rating: - the young girls of rochefort
The Young Girls of Rochefort
A fine film which made me feel like breathing an autumn breeze. A great come-back to the days of innocence. Thank you amazon-com for giving me the chance to watch it again and include it in my collection.
Best regards,
Nikos Papageorgiou

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