Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire and Kay Thompson are all fabulous and perfectly cast. Great music with great singing and dancing. Thompson's character sings 'Think Pink' then claims she wouldn't be caught dead in it. Half an hour later in the film, guess what she's wearing? Pink! Great film, watching it now as I write this.

I'm not sure there were many women who could have pulled off this film in such an amazing fashion (sorry for the pun). This was more a celebration of Audry, then anything else. And she was somehow simple and radiant at the same time. The story is familiar. The simple shop girl is discovered by simple happenstance. At first, she resists. And then she dives in, head first. But there's also the May - December story line between Fred Astaire and Audry. But, just looking at Audry in all the different settings and costumes is worth the price of admission. Of course with Fred Astaire, there are several dance numbers and songs. And they are a cheerful addition. But it all still comes down to Audry. And this is a great film for serious Audry fans. We get to see so many different images of Audry. The first costume we see her in after losing her bookstore duds, combined with her natural beauty. Is jaw-dropping. While watching this film of this amazing woman. It should be remembered that in spite of her natural attributes. She was carrying and unaffected human being. Her work with UNICEF. The work she did for that agency saved many lives. She genuinely cared for the people she was trying to help.

I am a fan of Audrey Hepburn, but generally hate musicals (though there are a few exceptions - The Sound of Music, Across the Universe, amongst others), so this was always going to be interesting. Turns out even Audrey Hepburn can't overcome a lame plot, dull music, unimaginative direction and a unconvincing and wooden leading actor. More than boring, this film is irritating. The campy pretentiousness of the setting, the irritating fashion people, the songs which hardly have a tune. It all just seems so contrived and lame.Worst of all, Audrey Hepburn gets made to look bad thanks to the movie. Her character is overly nerdy, and the songs just don't suit her.A very bitter disappointment.

It starts in some bizarre zone between cheesy and marvellously modern, but it's all style and flash. There's no substance in the first ten minutes, but when Audrey Hepburn comes into view, it's like the floodgates of emotion have been opened, it's like the sight of land on a barren sea. She plays her role like a naive heroine expecting a sincere fairy-tale only to be surprised by a macabre parade of shallow 20th century modernity. This instantaneously creates a clash between two worlds, and we are hooked at least to see how the next scene plays out. But in the end, we are let down by the leading man. Fred Astaire is no match in romance for such a queen as Ms. Hepburn.