Review

Beautifully restored version of Demy's classic, bittersweet musical of two young lovers (a luminous Deneuve and handsome Castelnuovo) separated by war. With its gorgeous pastel color scheme and attractive leads, Umbrellas apes the glamour of the Hollywood musical, but also undercuts this a bit with a gritty, working-class locale and everyday situations. All the dialogue is sung, and most of the music is low-key. There are no show-stopping, highly choreographed numbers; but what it lacks in bombast and spectacle it makes up for in emotional resonance. Demy perfectly captures the feel of first love, and the myriad obstacles thrown in the face of it. A thankfully rediscovered treasure about the losses -- and gains -- of growing up and moving on. Michel Legrand wrote the lovely score. (French with English subtitles)