French Cancan (1955) :
Brief Review -
Jean Renoir's light-hearted musical carnival on café-concert which also has that typical illicit romance. By the 1950s, Hollywood had been the one and only boss at musicals, and even to date, they haven't been matched. Even Hollywood has picked many Broadway plays and other foreign language plays to make musical feature films, yet they added their touch with their surroundings and stars. French Cancan is literally a story-less film. I just felt like they robbed it and tried to gather broken pieces to make a script. A theatre producer sees a girl doing the cancan and decides to give her a career in theatre. During rehearsals, she becomes his mistress. His previous mistress spoils the theatre, and they are left on the street. One of the girl's lovers attempts suicide when she tells everybody that she is the mistress of the theatre producer, and things get back to the cancan rehearsals. As expected, there is a change of heart at the last moment and heartbreak too, but all of it is just fun. The entire romance/love angle is pathetic. It felt the same for many Renoir films earlier, and it just got worse here. I couldn't understand the logic of a boy asking the girl not to become a showgirl and marry him but to lose everything if she goes on the show as if she were going to the brothel. I am not familiar with the Parisian café-concert, but if that was it, then I don't think there was anything special. Though it might have a local impact that I'm unaware of. Anyway, the film suits the carnival theme and doesn't bore except for some irritating romantic moments. Jean Gabin remains a standout, as the film literally stands on his shoulders. Renoir's musical is fine for a one-time watch, but nothing more than that. Some gorgeous ladies in the film might appeal to you more than the entire film.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Jean Renoir's light-hearted musical carnival on café-concert which also has that typical illicit romance. By the 1950s, Hollywood had been the one and only boss at musicals, and even to date, they haven't been matched. Even Hollywood has picked many Broadway plays and other foreign language plays to make musical feature films, yet they added their touch with their surroundings and stars. French Cancan is literally a story-less film. I just felt like they robbed it and tried to gather broken pieces to make a script. A theatre producer sees a girl doing the cancan and decides to give her a career in theatre. During rehearsals, she becomes his mistress. His previous mistress spoils the theatre, and they are left on the street. One of the girl's lovers attempts suicide when she tells everybody that she is the mistress of the theatre producer, and things get back to the cancan rehearsals. As expected, there is a change of heart at the last moment and heartbreak too, but all of it is just fun. The entire romance/love angle is pathetic. It felt the same for many Renoir films earlier, and it just got worse here. I couldn't understand the logic of a boy asking the girl not to become a showgirl and marry him but to lose everything if she goes on the show as if she were going to the brothel. I am not familiar with the Parisian café-concert, but if that was it, then I don't think there was anything special. Though it might have a local impact that I'm unaware of. Anyway, the film suits the carnival theme and doesn't bore except for some irritating romantic moments. Jean Gabin remains a standout, as the film literally stands on his shoulders. Renoir's musical is fine for a one-time watch, but nothing more than that. Some gorgeous ladies in the film might appeal to you more than the entire film.
RATING - 6/10*
By - #samthebestest.