Overall Rating Awesome: 62.07% Worth A Look: 6.9% Average: 6.9% Pretty Bad: 24.14% Total Crap: 0% 2 reviews, 17 user ratings

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American in Paris, An

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by Greg Muskewitz

"Anywhere but here."

A colorfully dark musical providing a hand-of-card’s worth of gloomy mopers traversing around no-so-gay Paris.

Despite the datedness and feel of Vincente Minnelli’s 1954 movie, there are some modern issues dealt with in an archaic fashion: the independence of the woman (Nina Foch), her aggression in the game of love; the male’s delicate ego (here Gene Kelly), not allowing him to be supported or coddled; the temperament of artists; the gullibility of a youth’s love. Unfortunately, even though these issues are addressed, it is more than the movie can juggle. The balance, otherwise seen as the song and dance, manage to come along at the most inopportune times, and wear out their welcome at an excessively rapid rate. And the last musical number, a nearly mute (as in dialogue or song) 30-minute fantasy/contraction, concludes with stretch marks equivalent to war wounds. When Jacques Demy (representing the French) offered his own version of a dark musical, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, even with every word of dialogue sung, there is a clear separation between an idea and a vision.

With Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant and Georges Guetary.

[Not to be bothered with.]

link directly to this review at http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=3285&reviewer=172
originally posted: 08/22/02 13:21:52

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User Comments

12/29/11 Jesus Raymat Honoring classic musicals 5 stars

7/04/10 Paul A. Don't overthink the plot, just enjoy the incredible song & dance. (4.5 stars) 5 stars

2/23/09 PAUL SHORTT DELIGHTFUL MUSICAL HOLIDAY, BEAUTIFULLY STAGED 5 stars

3/16/08 Pamela White Not Gene Kelly's best but watchable 3 stars

2/19/08 Joy Venters Didn't think there was another Joy Venters In the world 5 stars

9/01/07 johnnyfog Good plot, considering it's a musical. Gene Kelly at his best (no mugging this time). 5 stars

2/26/07 american in paris supporter American in Paris is amazing. period. 5 stars

1/29/07 Steph One of the greatest musicals ever made. The songs are magnificent! 5 stars

10/12/06 Luis Alfonso Iglesias Not at the heights of Singin´in the rain (the best musical ever) but a most enjoyable film. 4 stars

7/19/06 David Cohen Did what no other movie could do: It made Gene Kelly seem unlikeable 2 stars

2/26/05 Joy Venters really great for those who enjoy music spectacular's-too bad they can't make this kind now 5 stars

2/17/05 Daveman Fabulous, better than Singin' In The Rain, Greg here just has to be the philistine. 5 stars

2/14/05 Candace Hill One of the best musiacls I've ever seen! 5 stars

12/06/04 Natasha Theobald Gene Kelly and Oscar Levant are good, but not enough to keep your butt in the seat 3 stars

8/24/02 kitt4film@hotmail.com The dancing, music and Oscar Levant make this film great the story is boring! 4 stars

1/08/01 R.W. Welch Classic musical, paled only slightly be time. 5 stars

3/07/00 yankee Gene Kelly is great. Another story of wanting the girl out of reach. The dancing is great 5 stars

IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS FILM, RATE IT!
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USA 09-Nov-1951 (NR) UK N/A Australia N/A

Directed by Vincente Minnelli Written by Alan Jay Lerner Cast Gene Kelly Leslie Caron Oscar Levant Georges Guetary Nina Foch

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