Review of Lili (1953) by Amanda C — 18 Sep 2010

I cannot yet decide if this movie had it's romantic charm or if it hung on the edge of creepy playfulness. Lili stars Leslie Caron, who in my opinion was very talented but not gorgeous, and Mel Ferrer who never had a decent role in a successful movie ever. By watching this film, you might begin to understand why Leslie was limited in her movie roles and why Mel did little to impress me.

The film, an international romance, weaves together the young and shy orphan (Caron), inexperienced with the world, with her not so mighty hero (Ferrer) who does best expressing himself through his puppets. The sounds soften and the music builds every time Ferrer speaks to Caron, but beyond that, it is hard to assume that the two are falling in love. Ferrer hardly smiles, hunches his back to the world, and argues with Caron constantly because he's jealous of her affections for another circus entertainer. Caron, as you might notice, has a permanent smile on her face which makes it hard to understand her emotions when she means to be distressed. The chemistry was not impressive as both characters appeared to never truly fall in love with the other.

I will give credit where credit is due. The story is a wonderful story of insecure love. How often does one hear of a puppeteer who romances lady-love with his characters in his circus puppet act? And if you have happened to actually hear that story, how often does lady-love return that affection even though she cannot she the face behind the puppets? I think it would be hard to be romanced by talking dolls. It's not normal for puppets to speak to individuals in the crowd or by oneself. Normally fear and panic arise when a puppet comes to life and speaks out. But not Lili, no, she finds comfort and friendship in the four puppets of the Paris carnival. She finds so much comfort in the puppets that she dances with them in a vision. As each puppet steps up to dance, the figure of the puppet fads and the forlorn image of Ferrer replaces the happy caricature. And this is when Leslie finds love. And she runs into the arms of the dreary faced, but happy, Mel at the end of the movie and they are happy to be together.

It's truly too dramatic for such a simplistic tale of boy meets girl. The movie did not and has not received any awards but did gain notice for it's musical score. I believe you should watch this film to say that you've seen it. It is a Parisian film, which is different than what Hollywood creates, so be patient and open your mind to different tastes, different emotions, and a different definition of love (that's a must).