Review of An American in Paris (1951) by Kelly H — 14 Apr 2016
This film is beloved by many, but it has yet to captivate me in spite of many viewings. The whole setup seems calculated, featuring a sort of non-plot cobbled together by Alan Jay Lerner. An American in Paris who is a struggling young artist has a wealthy patroness who wants more.
His piano playing buddy Oscar Levant, whose charms have always escaped me, is on hand to crack wise. And then there is la petite gamine Leslie Caron, who may not be quite as charming as she thinks, along with a host of other colorful French characters.
The Gershwin music is very American, so there's that. But there are so. . . many. . .dances. . . . The famous ballet in the style of many artists has always struck me as a pretentious and elongated interruption.
For those who love la dance, this is your film, but it remains a little too impressionistic for me.
This review of An American in Paris (1951) was written by Kelly H on 14 Apr 2016.
An American in Paris has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
