Rating: 
Summary: Of Paris and Panavision
Review: This review is of the DVD. If you haven't seen this 1958 classic in widescreen format, you really haven't seen it. Director Vincente Minnelli (Liza's father) fills each frame beautifully, often composing scenes reminiscent of the impressionist painters he so loved, such as Renoir or Seurat. Letterbox-haters, this is a good test of the superiority of seeing a movie the way the director intended, not crammed into the 1:1.33 TV screen. (The DVD includes both versions, so comparison comes cheap.) The year is 1900. Gigi (Leslie Caron) is a pubescent young woman who becomes more and more attractive to millionaire Gaston Lachaille (Louis Jordan). But Gigi's family has a tradition of "Instead of marrying at once, it sometimes happens we get married at last." Making the tradition from pre-teen to beautiful young woman, awkward Gigi is "trained" in the arts of catering to men, such as choosing a cigar, walking elegantly and pouring coffee in the best French manner. The payoff for this kind of training is to occupy a rich young gentleman's bed--until he tires of this courtesan and moves on. While still in favor, the lady in question lives in luxurious style: tutor Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans) advises her charge to "Wait for the first-class jewels, Gigi. Hold on to your ideals." The team of Lerner and Loewe wrote songs for this musical that include such favorites as "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" and "The Night They Invented Champagne." On its initial release "Gigi" was touted as the cinematic equivalent of their smash Broadway play "My Fair Lady," as the movie trailer on this DVD makes apparent. Gigi won a slew of Oscars, beating out the presumed favorite, Susan Heyward in "I Want to Live." It is no mistake that the compilation film of MGM's best musicals, "That's Entertainment," features Gigi as the last chronological example of the MGM high-quality, lavish musical. Minnelli would go on to direct many more films, including the 1960 musical "Bells Are Ringing" with Judy Holliday and Dean Martin, but "Gigi" was really MGM's "swan song" for expensive musicals, which were getting harder and harder to mount because of television and changing musical tastes (like Elvis). With a lot of begging and pleading from the director and producer, the studio spent enough money in Hollywood to duplicate Maxim's restaurant and the Ice Gallery, a favorite meeting-place for the 1900 elite. Minnelli's visual wit is visible in the way he frequently uses real Parisian backgrounds of fountains and statuary, indirectly symbolizing and commenting on the mental state of the actor in front. The whole cast is marvelous, including Hermione Gingold as Gigi's grandmother and the incomparable Maurice Chevalier as Gaston's uncle, Honore Lachaille. It is small wonder that this film is the very favorite--or close to it--among lovers of musicals. "Gigi" is first-class all the way. Even people who don't often purchase musicals may well enjoy the film for its masterly visual style and recreation of turn-of-the (last) century Paris. What more can I say? Get ahold of this film RIGHT NOW while the price is so good. I don't think you'll regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Gigi is one of my favorite musicals!
Review: A movie for every generation that is preserved well on DVD! The movie takes in 1900 gay Paris. Gigi(Leslie Caron) is at first an ordinary young lady who will win the affections of the handsome Gaston(Louise Jordan). Beautiful movie that has beautiful music, and an appealing charm for all ages!
Rating: 
Summary: Thank Heaven!
Review: Thank Heaven for DVD! I feel like I am seeing this movie in the theater. I have loved it since I was little, but missed some of the plot at the time- so if you are seeing this later as an adult be prepared for some dated sexual politics. Other than that, great movie- great music, great costumes, great actors in wonderful color!!!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Delightful
Review: Having seen this film several times, I definitely have to rate Gigi as one of the most charming musicals ever made. The delightful score, by Lerner & Loewe, includes songs such as "I Remember It Well," "The Night They Invented Champagne," "Thank Heaven For Little Girls," as well as the title track, "Gigi," sung with surprising candor and earnestness by Louis Jourdan. The three principals, Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, and Maurice Chevalier, along with the Paris locales helps maintain a distinctively French flavor, especially in the way the characters relate and interact. For everyone who has commented on the political incorrectness of the story, a closer look will actually reveal the true feminist perspective of Colette's work which was groundbreaking for its time: 1) the story is a commentary on the limited social and economic options for women outside of marriage (or prostitution for that matter) during the turn of the century, 2) Although Gigi (Caron) never fully masters her lessons and grooming, she is able to capture Gaston's (Jourdan) heart precisely because of her imperfections, and 3) most importantly, it is Gaston rather than Gigi who is forced to truly transform himself and defy the social conventions of the time to bring the story to its resolution. Compare this to My Fair Lady, which offers similar social commentary but resolves itself in a more standard way; although Professor Higgins finally realizes his love for Eliza at the end, it is Eliza who is forced to submit her will by effecting a reconciliation that does nothing to resolve any of the issues raised in the scenes leading up to that point. Definitely see Gigi and judge for yourself. (Make sure you watch the widescreen version only! The full-screen version is awful with entire characters cut out of some scenes, such as Hermione Gingold's throughout most of the "I Remember It Well" sequence.)
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Summary: glorious musical
Review: Made just as the MGM musical was drawing it's last breath, GIGI went on to be the last masterpiece from the Hollywood master movie-makers. Leslie Caron makes for a spirited, waifish little Gigi, the shy tomboy-turned courtesan, while Louis Jourdan is a handsome Gaston, who whoos and weds our heroine. Directed by the always-depandable Vincente Minnelli, GIGI comes alive with music, charm and spectacle to spare, with lavish sets and costumes by Cecil Beaton, and the ravishing Lerner and Loewe score that includes "I Remember It Well", "The Night They Invented Champagne" and "It's A Bore". Featuring Hermione Gingold, Eva Gabor, Isabel Jeans, Maurice Chevalier and Jacques Bergerac, GIGI is a constant delight.
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Summary: THANK HEAVEN FOR "GIGI"!
Review: "Gigi" is a musical masterpiece in every sense of the word. It is a pure confection of delight, color, and beauty, handled like a true artist by director Vincente Minnelli with an inspiring group of artists. MGM's last crowning glory is a joy to watch, and is simply perfection. From its marvelous performances from a perfect cast to its sparkling score by Lerner and Loewe, it can only be described as a genuine classic. The story tells of a young coming-of-age girl, Gigi (a delightfully gamine Leslie Caron), who is trained by her eccentric Grandmamma (Hermione Gingold) and Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans) to be a courtesan to a handsome well-to-do playboy, Gaston Lachaille (Louis Jourdan), who has recently broken up with his latest amour (Eva Gabor). Training the awkward Gigi in everything from table manners ("Bad table manners, my dear Gigi, have broken up more households than infidelity") to drinking wine ("Sip it! A little at a time!") to choosing a cigar for a gentleman. When Gigi undergoes a transformation into an elegant lady, Gaston realizes that he would like to court the enthusiastic young woman... but Gigi has some conditions of her own. Overlooking the whole picture is Gaston's jubilant uncle, Honore Lachaille (the marvelous Maurice Chevalier, in the performance of his career). Minnelli realizes one of his finest hours as a director, creating the perfect musical through his actors, through vibrant, sumptuous cinematography, which is glowing beauty as only Minnelli could create. The exquisite set designs are inspired, as are the elegantly chic costumes, both designed by "My Fair Lady"'s Cecil Beaton. The lively script makes for many golden scenes, and one of the most beautiful scores ever written for a movie: Chevalier's glowing tribute to all little girls everywhere, "Thank Heaven for Little Girls", the uptempo delight of Caron, Jourdan, and Gingold singing "The Night They Invented Champagne", Chevalier and Gingold's memories of their love affair of long ago in the beautiful "I Remember It Well", and Jourdan's love-sick yearnings in the glorious title song, "Gigi", is a thrill never to be forgotten. The picture was a gilded treasure in 1958, garnering and winning every single one of its nine Oscar nominations, including Best Editing, Best Art Direction/Set Direction (Color), Best Costume Design (Color), Best Cinematography (Color), Best Scoring, Best Original Song ("Gigi"), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director (Minnelli), and the coveted Best Picture of the Year. And it is still a treasure today: it will bring a smile to your face every time you see it. Thank heaven for "Gigi", the great finale of the classic MGM musicals, and one of THE greatest musicals of all time.
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Summary: OUTSTANDING!
Review: Excellent costumes, acting, and music! BUY THIS MOVIE TODAY!
Rating: 
Summary: EDGE OF YOUR SEAT ACTION, BUT IN A BAD SENSE.
Review: I HATED this movie. Some of the backgrounds are nothing more than paintings. As for the stoyline, it was terrible. Some girl can't make up her mind about some guy or something like that. Believe me, there's far better romancy-type movies out there. There were two high parts in the movie: the part where a guy spills his wine intentionally down a ladies dress and the part where it says THE END. As for the music, if you're one of those oldies types, then you might like it. But that's the MUSIC. The MOVIE is bad. And that's and understatement. I hope my review drags this movie's rating down. I literally fell out of my couch after seeing this movie.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great movie!
Review: I loved GIGI. It was witty, entertaining and endearing! Gigi's character developed well and I loved the songs! Gigi had moral substance and was trully a delight to watch!
Rating: 
Summary: GREAT MOVIE BUT WRETCHED DVD
Review: Warner Home Video should be collectively ashamed of itself. A witty script, good songs, and great performances are almost completely ruined by such a shoddy DVD presentation. The soundtrack hisses from start to finish; and, the picture in the widescreen version is one of the WORST I have ever seen in any movie on any home video label. Scratched, mottled, and missing frames, the print used for this 9 Academy Award winning film is disheartening and dreadful. My VHS copy has a better picture. . .and that's a shame. Maybe one day Warner and Ted Turner will restore "Gigi" to its glory. For now, skip this DVD.
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