An American in Paris (Two-Disc Special Edition)
by Vincente Minnelli
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Gene Kelly, Leslie CaronDirector: Vincente Minnelli
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); Chinese (Subtitled); English (Subtitled); Japanese (Subtitled)
Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Restored, Special Edition, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 113 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-09-16
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Movie Reviews of An American in Paris (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Movie Review: A great technical achievment, a so so movie.
Summary: 3 Stars
Let me preface my comments about this film by saying "I OWN this movie". The final 15 minutes of this movie warrants purchasing it alone. However, one does have to sit through quite a bit of interminable storytelling and dialogue to get to it.
It starts on shakey and kind of dated legs. Kelly getting up in the morning with his fluid moves. The inane chit chat between characters. After about 10 minutes or so we finally get to the lovely Caron dance number. But after that, it kind of nose dives again.
Nina Foch and the Gershwin music is really shouldering the burden in this movie while we wait for Kelly to get on with it. Also, we don't even get a real kelly dance number until almost an hour into the film, (Kelly and Caron by the Seine). That's a pretty long wait. It's another long wait to get to the finale. Kelly and Carons chemistry certainly doesn't bowl you over by any means. Caron is unbelivably adorable of course and watching her you really forget that Kelly is even there.
Then of course comes Kellys "Tour de Force". An incredible technical achiement no doubt. The movies lush technicolor is beautiful. But the waiting is what makes this one inferior to both Singing in the Rain and Hustons Moulin Rouge. A lot of 50s musicals were weak on storyline. The story was merely somthing that happened between the singing and dancing, audiences didn't mind much because there was so much singing and dancing.
However, there isn't much dancing in American In Paris unless you make the argument that Kelly was saving it all up for the grand finale, but thats not a really good argument. However, Carons first dance number, Fochs performance and the final Kelly ballet is worth the purchase if only for the cinematography, innovative camera work and the final dance sequence.
But American In Paris has many weak spots. Bland story, bland dialogue. It's almost like Kelly figured that the audience could ride on the good will of the opening Caron dance number, Kelly and Carons chemistry (which really isn't there) and a pro like Nina Foch until the end. Saving everything for one final frontal assualt of dancing, technicolor, and amazing camera work. It's a gamble on Kellys part and it pays off. However, there is still that pesky 90 minute wait to get to it all. To many, Kellys gambit pays off, to me...well...lets just say he broke even.
Summary of An American in Paris (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/16/2008A GI (Gene Kelly) stays in Paris after the war to become an artist, and has to choose between the patronage of a rich American woman (Nina Foch) and a French gamine (Leslie Caron) engaged to an older man. The plot is mostly an excuse for director Vincente Minnelli to pool his own extraordinary talent with those of choreographer-dancer-actor Kelly and the artists behind the screenplay, art direction, cinematography, and score, creating a rapturous musical not quite like anything else in cinema. The final section of the film comprises a 17-minute dance sequence that took a month to film and is breathtaking. Songs include "'S Wonderful," "I Got Rhythm," and "Love Is Here to Stay." --Tom Keogh
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