Encore’s Birthday Marathon: Day 5

It’s another day counting down to that fateful birthday. This one is just an aside post, think of it was a footnote.
       
So, the world is still spinning. So what better way to celebrate that than with some music?

An American In Paris has soured me terribly on Gene Kelly, but Singin’ in the Rain is so much it’s difficult not to find it especially charming. Everything about it is, I even find Jean Hagen’s Lina charming with her poor enunciation and all. My seven year old nephew loves this movie. True, he’s a fan of musicals but the first time he watched it and went around reciting Lina’s “Am I dumb or something?” It’s not that concept for the musical is that freshly innovative, but it’s all about charm. Truly, newness isn’t everything. Something’s a nice, charming good morning is all it takes.

           
As you were with your Sunday.

Flashback: Hello, Dolly!

If you’ve been paying especially keen attention you’d know that I’m not the biggest fan of Gene Kelly. I think I’ve called him overly precise, and I won’t deny that some of my lack of interest centres on the fact that I generally loathe An American in Paris, but I’m digressing. If I had to pick a favourite Gene Kelly movie, it’d be one that he’s not even in – Hello, Dolly! I have a vaguely embarrassing love for Hello, Dolly! even though Nick despises it (oddly enough, I agree with an oddly large portion of his review, and I love it – go figure). Hello, Dolly! is based on a Broadway Musical which is in turn based on a Pulitzer Prize winning play – “The Matchmaker”. Its plot is simple, painstakingly so. Dolly Levi has been a widow for some time, and occupies her time by arranging things. She has her sights set on Horace Vandergelder who in turn has his eyes on Irene Molloy – a milliner. Horace is the guardian of his niece Ermengarde (what a a name), who’s in love with a starving artist of sorts Ambrose. Dolly pretends to set Horace up with Irene, sending him off to town.; though she's really trying to to put forth her own agenda. She in turn convinces Ermendgarde and Ambrose to go to town, along with Barnaby and Cornelius - two of Vandergelder's workers. All in all it's a musical clusterf*** of a situation.

The thing is, Barbra Streisand is (in theory) all wrong for the role. She’s about three decades too young for the role, because there’s no way that Barbra (two years after Funny Girl) is an aging widow of how many years. But, really, I don’t even care about the age thing, or the obvious lack of chemistry with Walter Matthau (we all know that Jack Lemmon was the superior member of The Odd Couple). Barbra can act and she can sing, but above all else – she can play funny, and that’s what so brilliant about her in Hello, Dolly!. It’s just one constant torrent of funny bits and she sells them excellently. With the exception of Matthau, the cast is quite good but Barbra steals the show.

Really, Hello, Dolly! doesn’t make much sense. The story is one of those ridiculous comedies that thoroughly amusing in its inane way, and I like that about it. It doesn’t have the strongest score (and the title song is oddly weak), but it’s well directed (yay, Gene Kelly) and well acted (yay Barbra). In fact “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” just may be one of the strongest ensemble musical numbers of all time. It has the sort of quotable quotes that make you roll your eyes and laugh and still think about their lucidity (case in point: “”). At its worst Hello, Dolly! is a kind of riduclous bauble; at its best Hello, Dolly! is easy watching – and I like to think of it at its best.

           

Ever seen the 1969 classic?

Movie Meme, Day 28: Overhyped

I hate this day in the meme, because really overhyped is a double edged sword. Overhyped by whom? Bloggers? Critics? Awards? I could make a long list of films I’ve never connected to that have been wildly popular with all three.

Memento, Juno, Precious, Michael Clayton. Four films I think are to varying degrees fine or good (all B-s) and each with something to show for them; none of them ever managing to interest me more than in passing. But overhyped? In parts, but not unworthy of praise.

But I had to settle on something, so I settled on one of my least favourite Best Picture wins of all time – incidentally a musical – An American in Paris.

Over time I’ve come to appreciate Gene Kelly more, though I think I’ll always prefer him as a director. Still, An American in Paris is a film that infuriates me whenever I think of it. Owing to its stellar reputation, I – stupidly – spent a lot of money buying a special edition DVD a few years ago. I saw it once and promptly gave it away to a friend. It’s difficult to pinpoint where by dissatisfaction with the legendary musical begins. I’m sure the fact that I care nothing for the characters has something to do with it, perhaps it’s the music which I don’t find memorable at all or perhaps it’s just my weirdness. Perhaps, calling it overhyped is petty but it fits the bill. It’s ridiculously praised and I watch it and am completely flummoxed as to the reason. I’m willing to be schooled though…make an argument for An American in Paris. What makes it so good?

Music Break [...With Gene Kelly, Donald O'Conner & Debbie Reynolds]

The song essentially says it all. Enjoy.

Music Break [...with Dolly Levi]

As far as sixties musicals go Hello, Dolly is too often forgotten. Just a few year after Streisand's debut in Funny Girl she is decades too young for the role of the personable widow with a penchant for minding everyone's business, but with all its clunky plot points I still think it's a whole lot of fun. Streisand is no small reason for that. "So Long Dearie" doesn't resonate as much as softer numbers like "Before the Parade Passes By", but it's one of the most hilarious cinematic musical numbers I've seen. Enjoy.