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Amazon.co.uk Review
Vincente Minnelli's 1958 adaptation of Colette's story about a girl (Leslie Caron) groomed as a courtesan--but desired as a wife by a Parisian playboy (Louis Jordan)--won a lot of Oscars, but it also has the unusual distinction of being an MGM musical shot on location in the City of Lights. What a musical it is (by Lerner and Loewe): Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold crooning "Ah, Yes, I Remember It Well", plus the songs "Thank Heaven for Little Girls", "Gigi", "I'm a Bore", and "She's Not Thinking of Me". Director Vincente Minnelli (Some Came Running, Meet Me in St Louis) makes a sumptuous, dreamy, almost laid-back affair of it all and the indispensable cast is forever etched into memory. Hollywood's long-running infatuation with continental grace and manners, the memory of a much earlier time imported to American movies through such immigrant directors as Ernst Lubitsch, may have finally come to a gentle end with this film. --Tom Keogh
Amazon.co.uk Review
Gigi, Vincente Minnelli's 1958 adaptation of Colette's story about a girl (Leslie Caron) groomed as a courtesan but desired as a wife by a Parisian playboy (Louis Jordan), won a lot of Oscars, but it also has the unusual distinction of being an MGM musical shot on location in the City of Lights. What a musical it is (by Lerner and Loewe): Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold crooning "Ah, Yes, I Remember It Well", plus the songs "Thank Heaven for Little Girls", "Gigi", "I'm a Bore", and "She's Not Thinking of Me". Director Minnelli makes a sumptuous, dreamy, almost laid-back affair of it all and the indispensable cast is forever etched into memory. Hollywood's long-running infatuation with continental grace and manners, the memory of a much earlier time imported to American movies through such immigrant directors as Ernst Lubitsch, may have finally come to a gentle end with this film. --Tom Keogh
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Whilst I really shouldn't give this a five star rating, every time I tried to reduce it I found I couldn't. Having just watched the film, I'm still too full of the pleasure of watching something so riotously happy. The reason I shouldn't give it 5 stars is because of the quality of the DVD itself. It looks more like video than DVD, with some quite serious scratch/flicker, particularly at the beginning and during one number.
With the impossibly handsome Louis Jourdan, Leslie Caron doing her sweet little girl act, and the incomparable Maurice Chevalier (try watching Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast and I think you might see where that came from!), the cast couldn't be better. The LernerLoewe songs are all hum a long, the script witty and the costumes wonderful, making the whole film very easy on the eye.
Not surprising then that the film won 9 Oscars, including best picture, director, cinematography, costume design, and song.
Worth forking out for provided you don't mind the DVD quality issues. Personally, don't regret it in the least
With the impossibly handsome Louis Jourdan, Leslie Caron doing her sweet little girl act, and the incomparable Maurice Chevalier (try watching Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast and I think you might see where that came from!), the cast couldn't be better. The LernerLoewe songs are all hum a long, the script witty and the costumes wonderful, making the whole film very easy on the eye.
Not surprising then that the film won 9 Oscars, including best picture, director, cinematography, costume design, and song.
Worth forking out for provided you don't mind the DVD quality issues. Personally, don't regret it in the least
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
We thought we would enjoy a bit of nostalgia when we purchased this DVD and yes we did. The film was rather dated but to be expected perhaps after all this time. However we thoroughly enjoyed it. Good acting and lovely music though the sound quality not that good.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
One of my rare criticisms of Amazon would be their failure to distinguish between reviews of ordinary dvd's and that of a Blu-ray update. For many films they are worlds apart and Gigi is no exception. I have been a fan of Gigi for more years than I care to remember. As a young man I adored the film and would seek out cinemas to watch the film again and again. Imagine my disappointment when I bought the ordinary dvd to show on my new large projection screen home cinema! To some extent the quality was acceptable when viewed on a standard size television but the picture imperfections were clear as soon as it was magnified on an 8 foot screen! And then there was the problem of the lip synch.
To my amazement this is a problem that is rarely discussed in Amazon reviews or indeed anywhere else. I know that I am more susceptible to this problem than many others. However, in some cases on ordinary dvd's the sychronisation is out by nearly half a second. 'There's Something About Mary' and 'Prelude to a Kiss' are examples of bad lip synch and sadly the ordinary Gigi dvd is equally bad. I know that you can make slight adjustments on modern home cinema equipment but the synchronistion is often too far out to be corrected.
Eureka! Problem solved on every Blu-ray disc that I have bought and in particular with the Blu-ray version of Gigi. Last night we watched this wonderful film in the Blu-ray version. It was like watching a new film. Fabulous revitalised colours and a pin sharp picture for most of the time. Such detail! The sound quality had also been much improved although this was less obvious than the benefit in video quality. There are also some very interesting extras which include an early 'Tom & Gerry' carton, a complete version of the original 1949 French version of Gigi (non-musical) and a very informative film on the making of this version. This is filmed mainly in HD and includes interviews with Leslie Caron and others who made the film. Fascinating. The extras also include the original trailer for the film and this is a further illustration of the sea difference in quality between the different versions.
I admit that I hesitated for some months before I made this upgrade purchase. I am just so glad that I bought this upgrade. It is worth every single penny and more. What a wonderful restoration of this fabulous masterpiece.
To my amazement this is a problem that is rarely discussed in Amazon reviews or indeed anywhere else. I know that I am more susceptible to this problem than many others. However, in some cases on ordinary dvd's the sychronisation is out by nearly half a second. 'There's Something About Mary' and 'Prelude to a Kiss' are examples of bad lip synch and sadly the ordinary Gigi dvd is equally bad. I know that you can make slight adjustments on modern home cinema equipment but the synchronistion is often too far out to be corrected.
Eureka! Problem solved on every Blu-ray disc that I have bought and in particular with the Blu-ray version of Gigi. Last night we watched this wonderful film in the Blu-ray version. It was like watching a new film. Fabulous revitalised colours and a pin sharp picture for most of the time. Such detail! The sound quality had also been much improved although this was less obvious than the benefit in video quality. There are also some very interesting extras which include an early 'Tom & Gerry' carton, a complete version of the original 1949 French version of Gigi (non-musical) and a very informative film on the making of this version. This is filmed mainly in HD and includes interviews with Leslie Caron and others who made the film. Fascinating. The extras also include the original trailer for the film and this is a further illustration of the sea difference in quality between the different versions.
I admit that I hesitated for some months before I made this upgrade purchase. I am just so glad that I bought this upgrade. It is worth every single penny and more. What a wonderful restoration of this fabulous masterpiece.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Blu-ray and two-disc 50th anniversary DVD also include the 1949...
The MGM musical was all but dead when Gigi gave the studio its biggest ever musical hit, but it's not one of their best despite having a lot going for it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Trevor Willsmer
Thank heavens, for musicals.
Based on Anita Loos' play, out of the novel written by Colette, Gigi snatched a ream of Academy Awards and promptly became the course of much debate and criticism for ever and a... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Spike Owen
Gigi DVD 1958
I bought this as a Christmas gift. It was delivered within five days and well wraped. The service was as usual great and I can't fault a thing.
Thank you. *****
Thank you. *****
Published 17 months ago by JJ MACKAY
Gigi - The DVD
Gigi has everything one would want in a film. Good storyline, fabulous music and very well photographed. An exceptional film way ahead of its
time.
time.
Published 20 months ago by Gangu
ah yes
full of good songs,good storyline (based on the novel by collette)this is one of those special mgm musicals for which this studio was famous for. Read more
Published 20 months ago by R. Poole
Trip down memory lane
Forgot what an easy going film this was. Just the thing for a wet afternoon curled up on the sofa would recommend it with a box of chocs!!!
Published 21 months ago by Mungar
Gigi 50th Anniversary [DVD] [1958]
Mum liked it, but I felt there were just too many songs in the film for my taste.
Published on 15 April 2010 by Christopher B. Thomas
gigi
GIGI is a good old fashion musical with nice music and a story to match. come a wet day put your feet up a nice box of chocolate and put Gigi on and enjoy
Published on 13 April 2010 by Mrs. mavis rudge
enjoyable
I purchased this as an extra present for my Mother.We all decided to watch it as there was nothing particular to watch on TV. I thought it would be boring,but far from it ... Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2010 by Ms. S. E. Day
GIGI
Fantastic, so lovely to see a real musical, but then l'm an old softie !!!
Published on 28 Jan 2010 by Mrs. B. Devlin
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