Review of My Fair Lady (1964) by Rachel H — 01 Nov 2010

I absolutely love this musical. It's one of my big three (that being Phantom, Sweeney Todd, and this) in terms of musicals and their film adaptations. Normally, adaptations have gotten a bad rep, but this movie is one of the great ones.

In terms of casting, Audrey Hepburn was cast perfectly, even though I'm sure fans of the play would rather see Julie Andrews in this role, especially since she at least did her own singing. I mean, Marni Nixon has a nice voice, but they should probably have cast an actress who can do her own singing. Needless to say, Audrey Hepburn did the acting with her normal top-notch style.

Secondly, Rex Harrison is great as Professor Higgins. He captured the character just perfectly. The supporting cast is great too, especially Wilfrid Hyde-White as Colonel Pickering, Stanley Holloway as Eliza's father, and Jeremy Brett as Freddy Eynsford-Hill. This movie is perfectly cast and there isn't a single bad performance in this movie.

Lastly, the music is great. Just fantastic. I don't think any music in any movie made in this time can top this. This is why it's in my top 3 musicals. Perfectly cast, perfectly sung, and perfectly paced, this movie is just absolutely perfect.