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Funny Face

Funny Face

List Price: $9.99
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fashion and Fancy
Review: Here we have a story of fashion and romance. Givenchy provides the fashionable clothes. George and Ira Gershwin provide the music to set the scene for romance. Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire provide the romantic intrigue, costarring Kay Thompson for added comic relief. The story takes place in New York City and in Paris on the Seine River in France. These choice ingredients mix well to give the viewer an inviting slice of life in the fashion world, seen as songs, dances and splendid fashion shows. There is even a spoof of French philosophy. With excellent timing and camera work, and the consultancy of Richard Avedon, this film and its story present a happy moment to be revisited by an engaged film fan. Director Stanley Donen has made it happen with a screenplay by Leonard Gershe, and choreography by Eugene Loring and Fred Astaire.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Nothing less than chic.
Review: I just saw this the other day, and forgot how wonderful it was! The wry commentary on the fashion industry (and the fashion models themselves), the use of locale (Paris), song (Gershwin), and color (Donen) is wonderful. The color is especially superb in the fashion photo shoot (which is brilliantly illustrated betwixt Astaire and Hepburn), and gives marvelous detail behind each camera set-up (with a scenario, a motivation, a series of props, and finally an end result beautifully shown in a trick montage of film separation and negative process). This has always been my favorite scene in the film (being a former photographer myself), and I was further surprised to learn years later that the Astaire character was modeled on real photographer Richard Avedon. Color is further exploited in other scenes: the red darkroom light used as sole illumination in the "Funny Face" dance, the soft-focus green grass in "He Loves and She Loves," and even the drab monotone of the NY bookstore where Hepburn sings "How Long Has This Been Going On?" But I must give special mention to Kay Thompson's magazine editor: smart, witty, hilarious, nearly stealing every scene she's in. (Astaire: "They've been in there for hours. Thompson: "There was a LOT to do.") One of the best things done by director Stanley Donen.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "I love your funny face! Your sunny, funny face!"
Review: In 1957, Paramount produced a very enjoyable musical comedy called "Funny Face", directed by Stanley Donen, and to the music of George Gershwin, Adolph Deutsch, Roger Edens and Leonard Gershe. With a simple plot, the film begins in New York City within the offices of the major fashion magazine named "Quality". Its president, Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson), is determined to find a new way to promote the magazine. In a moment of inspiration, she comes up with the slogan "Think pink," and breaks into song praising the color pink and saying that everything (from women's clothing, soap, furniture, etc.) must be pink. Of course, she "wouldn't be caught dead" in it.

Moving on to another magazine project, Maggie wants to find the perfect spot to photograph one of the magazine's models named Marion (Dovima, who was a major fashion model in the 1950's working closely with photographer Richard Avedon. This was her only film.). An assistant suggests that they go to a bookstore in Greenwich Village to create an intellectual atmosphere. Maggie, Marion, a host of Maggie's staff all in pink and the magazines head photographer, Dick Avery (Fred Astaire), force their way into a dingy, but quiet, bookstore along with all of their equipment. A store employee, Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn) protests the uninvited intrusion vehemently, but the "Quality" magazine army locks her out of the store to work undisturbed. After several hours, the "Quality" mob vacates, but the books and store are left in a shambles for Jo to clean up. Dick offers his help to clean the store, but Jo refuses. After Dick leaves, Jo proceeds to sing another wonderful song in the film, "How Long Has This Been Going On?"

Maggie decides that "Quality" must find a real "Quality woman" to represent the magazine and it isn't Marion. When Dick develops the photos taken at the bookstore, Jo is in one of them. He suggests to Maggie that Jo could be the woman that they need, but Maggie has her doubts. To lure Jo to the "Quality" offices, they order a large number of books and want them delivered. Jo arrives hours later with a pile of books and is accosted by Maggie's staff who want to redress her in preparation for a photo shoot. Jo escapes and hides in Dick's dark room. They talk and he sings to her another of the film's title song, "Funny Face". Jo completely disagrees with everything that "Quality" magazine represents; she believes in "empathicalism", a philosophy that rejects all material things, as described by her idol, Professor Emile Flostre, who lives in Paris. When Jo is told that the "Quality woman" photo shoot and a fashion show will be done in Paris, she reluctantly agrees to be the model since it will give her the opportunity to meet Prof. Flostre.

The film continues in Paris where Jo models many clothes designed by Givenchy and a romance between her and Dick Avery develops. Jo finally gets the opportunity to meet Prof. Flostre (Michel Auclair), but will he meet Jo's expectations? Will the romance between Jo and Dick survive the photo shoot and meeting Prof. Flostre? Does Maggie get to produce the Paris fashion show of your dreams? You'll just have to watch this very entertaining film to find out!

The songs in the film include:

* "Think Pink" 5/5, Kay Thompson. A fast, snappy & whimsical song.
* "How Long Has This Been Going On?" 5/5, A blues song sung by Audrey Hepburn at the bookstore.
* "Funny Face" 5/5, Fred Astaire. A charming song.
* "Bonjour Paris" 5/5, Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn, Kay Thompson. A fun song filmed at various locations in Paris.
* "He Loves and She Loves" 4.5/5 Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astair. Filmed at Le Château de la Reine Blanche in Coye-la-Forêt with Audrey Hepburn modeling a wedding dress.
* "How To Be Lovely" 5/5, Kay Thompson and Audrey Hepburn. A fun & gutsy song.
* "Basal Metabolism" 4.5/5, A blues song that Audrey Hepburn dances to in a bistro.
* "Clap Yo' Hands" 5/5, A fun, melodramatic blues song sung by Fred Astaire and Kay Thompson to sneak into the bistro. (a.k.a. "Ring-a Them Bells")
* "Let's Kiss and Make Up" 4.5/5 Fred Astaire. A love song sung again at Le Château de la Reine Blanche.
* "'S Wonderful" 5/5, Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. Another love song sung at Le Château de la Reine Blanche.

Some may think that "Funny Face" is nothing more than fluff, but it was produced to entertain with color, fashion, music, dance and comedy and it does so very well. The acting, singing and dancing from Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire and Kay Thompson is quite good and I rate "Funny Face" with 5 out of 5 stars. If you're primarily interested in Oscar-winning dramas, "Funny Face" may disappoint you; but if you enjoy light-hearted musicals and like to laugh, then you'll probably be very entertained with this fun film!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Beautifully colourful movie
Review: Audrey Hepburn rarely looked lovelier than in this gorgeous musical comedy, inspired loosely by the career of photographer Richard Avedon. One of the most beautifully photographed colour films ever (and oddly enough not directed by Vincente Minnelli), this Stanley Donen charmer stars Fred Astaire as a magazine photographer (a la Avedon) who discovers a waifish Greenwich village bookseller (Hepburn) and turns her into a supermodel. He carts her all over the world as the new face of fashion, though for her the excitement is simply in having the chance to travel and visit philosophers she has long admired. Pretty soon her lofty ideals clash meanly with the low mental expectations and hard-working ethics of the modeling industry, but thankfully her managing editor (a delicious Kay Thompson) is there to keep her in line. The story isn't too much admire, not to mention that the romance between a twenty-something Hepburn and a three hundred year-old Astaire is just a bit rich even by Hollywood's standards, but anyone watching will be too enchanted by the visuals and the lovely music to mind very much. Songs include a whole spate of musical classics, including "'S Wonderful", "How Long Has This Been Going On" and "Bonjour Paris", highlighted by an excellent dance number that Hepburn performs in a Parisian beatnik bar.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: FANTASTIC, WONDERFUL, AWESOME!!!
Review: I love this movie because it is a girl who is just a not very well known. She works at a book store. I love the way a girl who doesn't care how she looks can turn into a BIG fashion model.Adurey Hepurn stars in Funny Face a movie that just goes to show that you on't have to care how you look to be a star.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It's all worth it just for one scene....
Review: Audrey Hepburn, one of the biggest style icons of all time, floats down a staircase in a beautiful floor length red dress, with a red scarf billowing behind her. In a breathless, excited voice she says the words, "Take the picture! Take the picture!"

This is the perfect movie to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Audrey's beauty, sophistication and style. Fred Astaire dancing in such a way you are forced to wonder how a man could be capable of such moves. Top it all off with the romantic scenery of Paris.

A charming story of a newly discovered model (Hepburn), falling in love with her photographer (Astaire). Although she tries to fight her feelings, (and although you know the boy will undoubtedly get the girl in the end), it is still a pleasure to watch.

A beautifully restored classic. Check it out!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Comical Countenance
Review: This is a weak picture which tries to spiff itself up with the use of colour (primarily pink), clubs (invariably smokey and saxophoney) and dance routines (not nearly as good as some routines I've seen - take White Christmas for an example of excellence). Somehow all three of these attempts fail utterly. Audrey Hepburn alone shines here, but her light is fogged by steam from trains, cigarette smoke, and other actors who get in her way. I particularly refer to Kay Thompson's character, who was downright annoying, and the guru with the beard that Audrey's character loved so much until she realised he was human. All throughout I kept thinking, When are the songs going to stop and the real dialogue begin? It didn't. And, When is this going to end? It finally did. I don't think I'll ever bother to watch it again, or to spend any more time reviewing it here. I'm glad if you can enjoy it, but I somehow did not.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Funny Face Soundtrack
Review: If you like jazz arrangements well orchestrated, instrumental or vocal, you'll love every track on this cd. The vocals by Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn just prove for one, that when Audrey sang in My Fair Lady, they needn't have dubbed over her singing. A perfect match, George and Ira Gershwin's music with Fred Astaire's phrasing, the personality of Fred and Audrey, it's just the perfect chemistry of the music, the people and the city, Paris that will endure forever.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the Greatest Movie Musicals...Ever
Review: Whenever I think of Paris, I want to see Funny Face again.
Being in Paris is like being in an Audrey Hepburn movie, and nothing makes you feel like this more than the delightful "Bonjour Paris" number done when Astaire, Hepburn and the extraordinary Kaye Thompson (Liza Minnelli's godmother, BTW, who steals the picture) arrive in the City of Lights. This is the ultimate Paris moment.

Using the score from Gershwin's stage version of Funny Face and a new script by Leonard Gershe, under the sure hand of Stanley Donen, everything is beautiful. Thompson plays a character based on Diana Vreeland, the head of Vogue, who, under the advice of the photographer played by Astaire (and based on Richard Avedon) takes a young intellectual wallflower from Greenwich Village and passes
her off as "the Quality Woman." The entire thing is enchanting, and after 46 years, Funny Face still holds up beautifully. The highlights include the opening "Think Pink"
number; Astaire's bullfight dance during "Let's Kiss and Make Up," "Clap Yo' Hands," done as only Astaire and Thompson could, and one of the most gorgeous, lasting images of the great Audrey Hepburn: dressed beautifully by Givenchy in red, she walks down the grand staircase at the Louvre, a flowing sheer red shawl held aloft. She has never looked so beautiful, and we are so lucky to have had her in our lives.

Funny Face is a musical treasure to be seen again, and again and again!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Paris Rocks!!
Review: Oh man this movie is great. It's like worm apple pie on a cold day. Or a bowl of ice cream on a hot day.


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