Jacquot de Nantes (1991)

U.S. title: Jacquot.

Based on the memoirs by Jacques Demy (b. 1931- d. 1990).

Jacquot is a boy growing up in Nantes, the son of a garage owner and a hairdresser. He is a happy child who loves songs and films. The Occupation disturbs his family life, but, despite all the incidents (including two allied bombings), Jacquot and his family come out unscathed (his statement that they have instilled in him a horror of violence seems insincere or self-deceptive). As a teenager, Jacquot develops a love for cinema. He buys an old camera and starts making stop-motion animations. His father does not regard filmmaking as a suitable career and forces him to attend technical school instead. He goes through a troubled and frustrated period until, finally, the support from a filmmaker visiting Nantes grants him a shot at following his aspirations.

This is a fairly banal biographical drama (interspersed with a few  apparitions of the real Demy at the time of filming), but it is very well made and I saw myself watching it painlessly all the way through. To be honest, I do not think the kind of "popular culture"-oriented life led by the protagonist is very healthy. Anyway, certain people seem to adapt better to it than I ever could.

Rating: 50