Seraherrera The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Jemima It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

gavin6942 In the little town Rochefort lives Delphine and Solange Garnier, two musical twins that teach music and dance to kids. One day, Etienne and Bill arrive in town, and need the twins help with a song and dance-number. Also, the famous piano-player Andy Miller (Gene Kelly) comes to town to help an old friend.Jacques Demy is an incredible filmmaker and the master of the musical. Working with Catherine Deneuve (his muse?), he succeeds again and even gets Gene Kelly in on the act. This film not only has solid singing, but plenty of noteworthy choreography. And, as Demy seems quite fond of, more than a splash of color.Jonathan Rosenbaum says the film "is loved in France but tends to be an acquired taste elsewhere." Supporting this view he cites Pauline Kael, who wrote that this film "demonstrates how even a gifted Frenchman who adores American musicals misunderstands their conventions." While this is probably not Demy's best film, trying to force it into the Hollywood box may be a mistake on Kael's part.Definitely worth seeking out, especially now that Criterion has released it on Blu-ray as part of their incredible Demy box set.

valadas A merry and vivid movie like a champagne glass, putting together famous dance and movie stars (some at the beginning of their careers or not far from that) such as Catherine Deneuve, her sister the unfortunate Françoise Dorléac (who died in 1967 burnt alive in a car accident), the inimitable Gene Kelly, the dancer George Chakiris (West Side Story, do you remember?), Michel Piccoli and last but not least the veteran Danielle Darrieux always and still a pretty lady, in the role of mother of the two sisters (they appear as such also in the movie, one of them as a dance teacher and the other as a composer and piano teacher). This movie runs at a vivacious and lively rhythm following a sentimental plot of encounters, estrangements and re-encounters of lovers and friends, interspersed now and then with dances and songs of great quality in a cheerful atmosphere in the town of Rochefort. It's a musical the American way but differentiated by a subtle French touch here and there which is revealed for instance by the slight reference to the news on a newspaper of the sadistic murder of a woman or even when the two itinerant show businessmen who offer themselves to give a lift to Paris to both sisters,tell them that they would also like to go to bed with them though in a cheerful mood as some joke. This movie was well restored by Agnès Varda in 1992 (error excepted)and sets us in a good fettle after watching it.

mounini If you like musicals and if you find the 60's enchanting than do not look further than this classic French number.The costumes are fantastically colourful full of pastels the style unmistakable, Hats are worn by both men and women... a different era, the characters even the meanies are charming it all sounds a bit whimsical but trust me it has humour as well as romance by the bag full.Solange and Delphine transport us in a universe where Love is all around and beats to the sounds of cool Legrand beats,the Master Jazz composer of this musical. Actors such as Michel Piccoli only ever seen singing and acting simultaneously in this film, adds a bit more depth to this cinematic sensation. Not that it's lightness should be taken for fluffiness, if you scratch the script a little you will notice hints of modernity, it is a musical that goes where not even Grease goes in terms of language and Les Demoiselles de Rochefort was made nearly 20 years earlier...The film has pinches of realism in this simple tell of 2 twin sisters looking for love in the city of Rochefort in 60's France of that you can be certain.I recommend this movie for 2 reasons. First the music, intoxicating Jazz numbers, American influenced yet continental texts, modern fluid dancing and singing...and the second reason is the story although simple it is punctuated by the arrival of meanies such as "les forins" or "Guillaume", even old man "DutrouZ" with a Z, hides something... for 90 minutes the viewer is projected into a family business a family a modern one so a little disjointed and controversial...and all this in the language of Moliere...rent it...buy it...whatever you do try and catch the Demoiselles de Rochefort you will smile all the more for it !

didi-5 Perhaps because this musical film features Gene Kelly amongst its cast it shines bright and leaves the viewer with a smile on their face - lots of colour, some sub-Robbins choreography featuring George Chakiris and Grover Dale, Demy-Legrand songs and recitative, and bouncy performances by Catherine Deneuve and Francoise Dorleac as the twin sisters, looking for love and opportunity.Include their mother, a cafe owner looking for a love she left behind; a lonely music shop owner; a sailor who loves to paint; and a jealous gallery owner - not to mention an unsolved murder - and you have the recipe for a fun and frothy musical, with hummable tunes and hints of romance.It is Kelly who shines, however (although with someone else's singing and speaking voice). Even in his mid-50s, he's still impish, sexy and hugely talented, and a bonus to any film.Demy's other film 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' is often lauded more than 'Les Demoiselles de Rochefort', but I disagree - this is the hit of the two for me.