The French film Une chambre en ville (1982) was shown in the U.S. with the translated title A Room in Town. It was written and directed by Jacques Demy.
This is an unusual movie because all the dialog is sung, which is like opera. It's about a labor strike, police violence, and sex--definitely verismo.
Dominique Sanda stars as Edith Leroyer, the newly-married daughter of Margot Langlois, played by Demy stalwart Danielle Darrieux. Edith's husband, Edmond, is portrayed by the great French actor Michel Piccoli. Richard Berry stars as François Guilbaud, a metalworker and staunch union member. He falls in love with Edith, and she with him. (It's actually love at first sight. And what a sight it is.)
Fabienne Guyon plays Violette Pelletier, who is also in love with François. She's young and attractive, but no match for Edith. (Think Michaëla vs. Carmen.)
I enjoyed this film because it was complex and multifaceted. Once you get into the fact that there's no speaking, only singing, you can sit back and enjoy it.
Sanda, Darrieux, and Piccoli are all actors with whom I'm familiar. Berry appeared in over 100 movies, none of which I'd seen. All four are superb actors, and they carry the movie forward.
In my opinion, all of Demy's films would work better on the large screen. However, the DVD version worked well enough. Une chambre en ville has an anemic 7.0 IMDb rating. I think it's better than that. It's not for everyone, but there are definitely people who would enjoy it.
P.S. If you'd like to know what Dominique Sanda's body looked like in 1982, this is the movie for you.
This is an unusual movie because all the dialog is sung, which is like opera. It's about a labor strike, police violence, and sex--definitely verismo.
Dominique Sanda stars as Edith Leroyer, the newly-married daughter of Margot Langlois, played by Demy stalwart Danielle Darrieux. Edith's husband, Edmond, is portrayed by the great French actor Michel Piccoli. Richard Berry stars as François Guilbaud, a metalworker and staunch union member. He falls in love with Edith, and she with him. (It's actually love at first sight. And what a sight it is.)
Fabienne Guyon plays Violette Pelletier, who is also in love with François. She's young and attractive, but no match for Edith. (Think Michaëla vs. Carmen.)
I enjoyed this film because it was complex and multifaceted. Once you get into the fact that there's no speaking, only singing, you can sit back and enjoy it.
Sanda, Darrieux, and Piccoli are all actors with whom I'm familiar. Berry appeared in over 100 movies, none of which I'd seen. All four are superb actors, and they carry the movie forward.
In my opinion, all of Demy's films would work better on the large screen. However, the DVD version worked well enough. Une chambre en ville has an anemic 7.0 IMDb rating. I think it's better than that. It's not for everyone, but there are definitely people who would enjoy it.
P.S. If you'd like to know what Dominique Sanda's body looked like in 1982, this is the movie for you.