Still something of a gawky schoolgirl, Gigi (Leslie Caron) is being trained to become a courtesan, and when she suddenly blossoms she captures the heart of Paris sophisticate Gaston Lachaille (Louis Jourdan.) But much to her family's horror, when the arrangements are completed Gigi suddenly declines! The cast is absolutely flawless. Based on a novella by Colette, GIGI tells the story of a French family of the belle epoch-a family, it seems, of women who have made their living from the favors of famous men. It is also one of the few titles consistently mentioned when critics dispute which film should be considered the single finest musical ever created by Hollywood, a film that rivals the likes of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and MEET ME IN ST. Only drawback: it's a bit overlong and could have used some editing for the slow moments.Īlthough MGM and other studios would continue in the genre for several more years, GIGI is the last great musical of Hollywood's golden age. By all means, it has to be considered one of the last great musicals from the MGM period. While, in my opinion, the score does not surpass "My Fair Lady" in range and cleverness, it certainly did well enough in winning nine Oscars, including the one for Best Picture of 1958. But there is no denying that no matter how distasteful some will find the story of training a girl to become a courtesan to be (or how politically incorrect by today's standards), the score is as sparkling as the champagne they sing about. Leslie Caron makes an enchanting Gigi, Louis Jourdan is impossibly handsome as Gaston, and all of the other players were cast with a discerning eye. The outdoor shots are just as lavish-Louis Jourdan singing the title song among the fountains and architecture of French landmarks. Vincente Minnelli wrings every bit of artistic decor in the trappings, giving the viewer an almost claustrophobic feeling for the interior scenes. Production-wise, it's almost too lavish for its own good. And yet they work beautifully for this story set in the city of love and starring Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Herminone Gingold and Maurice Chevalier. The songs all have a "My Fair Lady" similarity - from 'The Night They Invented Champagne' to 'Gigi' to 'The Parisiennes' - all bear the flavor of their previous work in sound and content. It's almost as if Lerner & Lowe were competing with themselves when they decided to write the music for "Gigi" - once again, a story about a girl being transformed into a young woman of charm (a Parisian courtesan) just as Eliza was being molded into another creature by Professor Higgins.
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