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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"A new fair lady", 2 May 2005
"Gigi" suffers from a rather far-fetched plot, which may not necessarily appeal to modern taste. A young girl is raised by her grandmother in Paris and is educated in social manners by her grandmother's sister. The grandmother has her heart set upon Gaston, a rich, handsome, and bored young man who happens to love Gigi as a little sister. The old lady's purpose is not marriage, as one might expect; rather, Gigi is to become Gaston's concubine. Happily, however, Gaston realizes that she is more important to him than that and eventually asks for her hand in marriage. Even though the plot is not entirely to my personal taste, "Gigi" is quite an enjoyable film, and definitely worthy of being included into a musical lover's collection. As a musical, it has great songs, which I've really enjoyed, and for which one would want to play it repeatedly: "Thank Heaven for Little Girls," "It's a Bore," "The Night They Invented Champagne," "Gigi," "Ah, Yes, I Remember It Well," "I'm glad I'm Not Young Anymore" are a few notable examples of lovely and catchy tunes, with lovely, lovely lyrics. They are also skilfully integrated within the plot, setting off the characters' state of mind or even stages in their emotional growth. "Gigi," for example, besides being a great song, also marks the moment when Gaston realizes that she is not a little girl anymore and that he has feelings for her. The decors are rich and colourful - I have especially noted the deep red of the grandmother's living room, and the Paris settings. Costumes are also lavish, from Gigi's dress to the suits of clothes worn by Gaston and his uncle. Louis Jourdan plays a handsome Gaston, set off by his bachelour uncle, played by Maurice Chevalier. Leslie Caron does a good job in the title role, though I couldn't help the feeling that Audrey Hepburn, who was offered the role but declined, would have done better. Hepburn had a seemingly natural talent at playing young girls who go unnoticed and who eventually surprise everyone by becoming the quintessence of elegance. Caron is lovely, but I was sorry that she wasn't Hepburn. As it is, however, the movie is enjoyable, and certainly one that I will want to rewatch. I gave it 4 stars simply because I feel it isn't on the same par with other great pieces of the genre, of which "My fair lady" is the most obvious example. Incidentally, the short extra featurette on the DVD informs us that soon after its release, "Gigi" was advertised as the story of "a new fair lady," "as popular on screen as 'My Fair Lady'is on the stage." All in all, I have seen better plots, and yet, I do recommend "Gigi." The plot may not shine, but it is a happy one, and the songs are very good, so I've enjoyed it and I think I'll enjoy it even more on a second viewing.
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