Thursday's Movie Review: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

A bittersweet and heartwrenching tale of young lust and marriage in 1960's France The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is one of those movies that has to be experienced once. It's not a movie that will appeal to a broad audience, and the fact that all dialogue is sung instead of spoken will turn off some. There are two reasons to watch the film--1) the visuals and 2) Catherine Deneuve.



Umbrellas Of Cherbourg is part of the French new wave in cinema. The backgrounds are inspiring in Easter egg colors. Catherine Deneuve skips around her technicolor world, a vision in youth and blonde hair, a perfect paragon of young love. Nino Castelnuovo is an appropriate Romeo to Catherine's Juliet. I love Deneuve's iconic black hair ribbon, her constant ballet flats, and that lovely salmon pink coat. Watch this one with a boy you are about to break up with anyways as a form of revenge/torture.

Music - Kerli - Tea Party (Almost Alice)

I was very unimpressed with the new Alice movie but at least this little gem was discovered on the soundtrack. This video can only be described as a visual feast of fantastical fashions and fetishes. The art of the tea party has been revived in the West by lolitas and time warpians, a set of Wedgwood tea cups is as essential as a BtSSB dress or a top hat to those who practice anachronistic lifestyles. Kerli brings a fresh combination of Marie Antionette's style, lolita, fantasy, goth and fetish to her tea party. Also note her fine collection of Asian Ball-jointed dolls featured in this and her "Walking on Air" video--another testament to the growing popularity of this luxury hobby. I'll be keeping my eye on this artist.

I have a sneaking suspicion she is not talking about tea though...