Bay of Angels Movie Review

Hardly one of Demy's (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) great works, this wisp of a film finds a mild-mannered banker (Claude Mann) becoming obsessed with roulette. (Why is it that all French gambling films revolve around roulette?) Along the way, he also becomes obsessed with an aloof platinum blonde (Jeanne Moreau) who also lives at the roulette wheel. She returns his attentions until revealing that it was all a ruse, brought on simply because she thought he brought her good luck.

A nearly identical story is done a bit more effectively in 1984's Tricheurs, but Jacques Demy's early film has some compelling moments, most notably a sudden and powerful ending that is wholly unexpected but is surprisingly satisfying. Bay of Angels ought to be a film school lesson in how to end a movie.

Too bad that the story is so slight and the acting is forgettable. Moreau bears little of her trademark charm, relying on her hairdo to carry her character. And Mann is forgotten once the credits role, which the part calls for to some extent, of course. Demy was clearly still developing a visual style here, as well. And while a few flourishes sneak through, on the whole the cinematography is dead-on straightforward.

Interesting effort worth a look by Demy enthusiasts.

Aka La Baie des anges.