Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

lasttimeisaw FRENCH CANCAN is a highly pleasurable extravaganza of Gallo musical and comedy from the cinematic titan Jean Renoir, placed within his marvelous oeuvre, the film doesn't have a chance to be a standout, but compared with its follow-up ELENA AND HER MEN (1956, 5/10), Renoir's star-vehicle for Ingrid Bergman, this film stuns in its spectacular scenic management of its pay-off moment, the much anticipated French cancan performance, which transpires to be a truly sensational delight and a sumptuous visual spectacle. The story follows a corny template, Henri Danglard (Gabin), is a theater producer and proprietor of "Le Paravent Chinois" café, whose business is in jeopardy, so he intends to revive the once-famous cancan dance as a strategy to strike back at the Moulin Rouge, accidentally meets a local washerwoman Nini (Arnoul), Henri is amazed by her dancing skills and sees her potential, and decides to make her the star of the show, they engage in a seemingly chaste relationship which soon escalates into mutual attraction, after that, chain reactions of jealousies, from Henri's current mistress Lola (Félix) and Nini's boyfriend Paulo (Pastorino), unrequited love pursuit (Esposito, as the Prince Alexandre from Egypt) and betrayals duly ensue, but, no worries, it is a French comedy, all but mirth will dissipate thanks to the final opening show with the elongated cancan choreography, it leaves you a gratifying smile on the face with the aftertaste of amazement and gaiety. The film is shot in vivid palette with fluid editing to present a top-notch viewing experience which doesn't weather too much 60 years later, also the production team carves out a moderate setting but embedded with haute couture sumptuousness, and Édith Piaf also contributes a cameo for a sonorous rendition. The tone is undeviatingly light-hearted, also boiled over with large ensemble uproar and farcical elements to whitewash the usual targets of a middle-aged womanizer's moral criterion and the gold-digger behavior of low-ranked class. Gabin extends his leading man élan to be the savior of a young girl's dead-end life, stately debonair, but no hesitation to be a heart-breaker when the ugly time arrives. Arnoul is a talented dancer, but doesn't acquire her own personality in the film, while Félix, steals the limelight first with her belly- dancing, subsequently with her acerbic bluntness, she never allow herself to be beaten up and always can find a way out under any circumstances, that is a winner's altitude! Broadly FRENCH CANCAN is Renoir's more entertainment-proffering output with an appealing flair of being flamboyant and "French", you will not necessarily feel overwhelmed by its content, but in the end of day, the cancan dancers and festive music can truly soothe your nerve, perk up your spirit and inveigle your toes to move a bit on the floor, which is a great achievement on its own merits indeed.

alexx668 This movie of Jean Renoir (son of the impressionist painter) uses vibrant coloring to convey a similar impressionist effect, which is only half successful, seeing as the crisp focusing (understandable given the year of release) negates the other major impressionist characteristic, namely the visual haze that represents a unique moment in time. As a result, the scenes where the film really excels are the two scenes that feature big crowd movement: one during the building of Moulin Rouge (almost slapstick), and the other during the theatrical dance apotheosis of the end.Both of these sequences are visual feasts, whereas the "fuzziness" due to the massive choreography and relentless movement, combined with the intense coloring, conveys an elegant impressionist display.Visual characteristics aside, the film represents a continuous bittersweet shift between comedic and dramatic elements, as well as a constant parade of love triangles. The ending with the impresario enjoying the show in a melancholic manner in the background is one final touch of class. If you come across it, don't hesitate to watch it.

Terrell-4 The story is simple but the execution is marvelous. A Belle Epoque impresario, down on his financial luck, is going to open a new club, the Moulin Rouge, with a new dance, the French cancan. He encounters a working girl and makes her a dancer. She'll become a star. There are several crises to overcome before that happens.The movie is Jean Renoir's tribute to show business, and he puts it on the screen with color, verve, humor, and humanity. There are wonderful performances by all the actors. The leads are Jean Gabin as Henri Danglard, the impresario; Francoise Arnoul as Nini, the girl who'll become a star; and Maria Felix as Lola de Castro, an overwhelmingly tempestuous beauty and Danglard's lover at the start. Gabin exudes confidence, worldly humor and dedication to show business. He even dances a bit. Arnoul is first rate, too. It looks like she was doing her own dances, and as an actress think of a young Leslie Caron with brains and charm.The climax of the movie is the opening of the club, with Felix's star dance, comic songs, a whistler, a Danglar-discovered singer, all moving toward the introduction of the French cancan. The crises happen and are resolved. Then the cancan explodes. Dancing girls come bursting out from the stage, the front of the theater, through posters, down ropes from the balcony. The house swirls with the black tie and tails of the swells and the garish colors of the dancers' gowns. The cancan number lasts probably ten or fifteen minutes or so, all music and gaiety, all high kicks and splits. It's amazing when row after row of the dancers, moving toward the camera through the audience, leap up, legs extended straight forward and backward, backs arched, then land on the dance floor in full splits. I didn't know whether to shout or wince.The last scene of the movie is outside the club, shot from the cobblestone street looking at the entrance. It's a medium shot and from the side street a happy, inebriated fellow in black tie and top hat staggers across, pauses to tip his hat at the camera, then staggers off. A completely charming ending.This really is a marvelous movie.

writers_reign Acknowledgments to Cole Porter from whose lyric CanCan (the title song of his 1953 Broadway show of the same name) I take my one line summary. This is, purely and simply, a Valentine to Paris, the Belle Epoque, the Impressionists, you-name-it. As such it is both stunning and sumptuous.Gabin - who began in the French Music Halls - is superb, but then when isn't he, Arnoul is a revelation. More? Well, the photography is ... the music is ... the ambience is ... aw, what the hell, go see it, do yourself a great big favor. 9/10