The Miracle of Life

Michel Legrand, jazz musician and composer extraordinaire, has left his mark on the history of cinema, including the films of Jacques Demy, especially The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, the 60th anniversary of which is being celebrated in Cannes. Using never-before-seen archives and personal accounts, the film looks back on a lifetime dedicated to music, and the career of a man who served it masterfully to the very end.

Lucas returns to his native village lost in the mountains to bury his parents. Traumatised as a kid by the death of his best friend when he was eight, he wants to put the past behind him. However, the father of the deceased friend discovers Marc might be responsible for his son’s death and relentlessly goes after him for revenge.

With reports of disappearing young women on the radio, a man disposes of the remains of a corpse at his remote home. Then he goes into town to pick up a homeless woman from the street. The director works towards his surprising climax with much visual flair, cleverly playing with the expectations and sympathies of the viewer.