Rose, Catherine Deneuve, and my fondness for themes of alienation

Chateau du Rouet + "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" + "Summer"


Chateau du Rouet is a delicious Rose, 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah from Cotes de Provence. So. To find the perfect film pairing, I sought out something French (obvi), light, juicy and vibrant. Turns out most French films are "Provocative, daring and epic", so I had to do a little digging.

"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" is the classic Jaques Demy all-sung-romantic-fiasco from 1964 that served as the inspiration for Woody Allen's "Everyone Says I Love You". Stylish, colorful and crisp, it was a perfect match for the Rose. However, on a substance level, I got kind of bored with it pretty quickly. I mean, it was enchanting in many ways, and I could see it playing on the wall of a French themed hipster bistro, but I don't think it's necessary to devote a lot of attention to it, if you know what I mean.... but of course, I'm not really a romantic movie kind of a gal -at least not in the traditional sense... What I'm saying is, if you don't happen to have a gaping black hole where your heart used to be, I can see you really falling in love with this film. And many have.

Eric Rohmer's "Summer" is much more my type of movie. It's the impressively sensitive portrait of a beautiful, single, not-too-old but not-too-young secretary trying her best to enjoy her summer vacation after she's been dumped by her traveling companion. Marie Riviere plays the character to perfection, making her both infuriating and completely relate-able at the same time - which is the sort of complexity I find extremely impressive in an actress. Eric Rohmer paints such an impressively poignant portrait of what it feels like to be truly isolated from the world around you. I found it deeply moving. The grace and light of the cinematography tied in perfectly with the Rose I was sipping, and brought out an interesting sense of irony, which I loved. Don't get me wrong, this is not a depressing movie - it's actually very romantic... just a different side of romance.... And the perfect double feature for "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg".... watch em both and see what I mean.... and don't forget the Rose....