The Model Shop (1969)

Director/screenwriter Jacques Demy is generally at his best when at his least philosophical, when his stunning color sense can be employed to reflect and/or add depth to a fairly simple situation or character. He's therefore off his form in The Model Shop, his only American film, in which his attempts at capturing telling but insignificant details during one day in a disillusioned man's life are more successful than his attempts at delving deeper into the character and especially into the problems facing American society in the 1960s. Demy's dialogue can have an attractive simplicity, but applied to weightier issues, it can also come across as inane. However, the director does capture a certain rueful undertone that flows throughout the film and produces a palpable melancholy at times. And while the film lacks the vivid visual stamp that he brings to much of his work, there are still moments when his use of color brings a crashing impact to a scene. Demy regular Anouk Aimée is striking and makes the most of every opportunity given her, making her character complex and sympathetic. The same cannot be said of Gary Lockwood, whose performance is dull and uninvolving. Clearly, Lockwood is hampered by the constraints of the character and script, but his inability to rise above these constraints is still problematic. Despite its flaws, The Model Shop still has a certain power, and Demy does a very good job of capturing both the sunniness and the seediness of Los Angeles. Demy aficionados should definitely give it a go; others should proceed with a bit of caution. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide