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Rated: G
Starring: Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, et al.
Director: Charles Walters, Vincente Minnelli
Review Vincente Minnelli's 1958 adaptation of Colette's
story about a girl (Leslie Caron) groomed as a courtesan--but desired as a
wife by a Parisian playboy (Louis Jordan)--won a lot of Oscars, but it
also has the unusual distinction of being an MGM musical shot on location
in the City of Lights. What a musical it is (by Lerner and Loewe): Maurice
Chevalier and Hermione Gingold crooning "Ah, Yes, I Remember It Well,"
plus the songs "Thank Heaven for Little Girls," "Gigi," "I'm a Bore," and
"She's Not Thinking of Me." Director Vincente Minnelli (Some Came Running,
Meet Me in St. Louis) makes a sumptuous, dreamy, almost laid-back affair
of it all, and the indispensable cast is forever etched into memory.
Hollywood's long-running infatuation with continental grace and manners,
the memory of a much earlier time imported to American movies through such
immigrant directors as Ernst Lubitsch, may have finally come to a gentle
end with this film. --Tom Keogh --------------
This is a musical delight. Vincent Minnelli always had his eye out for
perfection when it came to making his musicals and this one comes close.
The beautiful and exotic Leslie Caron shines as Gigi. But it is Maurice
Chevalier who steals every scene he's in and gets to sing 'Thank Heaven
For Little Girls' which is my favorite out of the whole movie. Louis
Jordan is also great as Gigi's admirer. Unusually high quality music and
songs, thanks to the musical geniuses Lerner & Loewe. The film has a
timelessness and a charm that is sadly missing in today's films, this was
the last great MGM Musical. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 9!
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