Funny Face (1957)

 Stanley Donen's "Funny Face"


As Audrey Hepburn was hitting her peak as a Hollywood star in the mid 1950s, legendary music man Fred Astaire was entering the final stages of his career in film. Their collaboration on 1957's "Funny Face" unites the classic with the contemporary for a colorful musical that fits right into 1950s Hollywood. Written by Leonard Gershe and directed by Stanley Donen, acclaimed director of "Singin' in the Rain," "Funny Face" didn't end up turning a profit until its re-release in 1964, after the vibrant success of Hepburn's "My Fair Lady."

While I find the plot very nonsensical and the musical components utterly boring, I did find Donen's direction of the film completely captivating. Perhaps his direction is the only captivating element of the entire picture. There doesn't seem to be any coherence of a theme or grander ideas. Rather, its an amalgamation of half-baked notions on the nature of art, mixed with discussions about empathy. Try making sense of it, though. That being said, it is nice to see Audrey and Fred collaborate. It would be nicer if this musical had a bit more to it and wasn't so completely uninspired.



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