Review of My Fair Lady (1964) by Jason V — 21 Aug 2012

I feel like I should like My Fair Lady. Maybe not even like it. Love it. Sing its praises. But I can't. For one, it's nearly three hours long, which is about an hour too long. Second, the early part of the film languishes from Hepburn trying to unconvincingly pull off a dirty, profane woman when the production never "messes" her up enough for the character.

Third, the direction by Cukor feels entirely ripped off from the stage instead of giving the production a motion picture feel. Fourth, and here's the big one, the idea of a man "creating" a woman and that woman coming back to him is morally suspect.

Harrison is pompus as Henry Higgins, so much so to make him unlikeable. Hepburn's Eliza Doolittle is game, but she is hamstrung by a character who doesn't know which way to go. I expected more from this group.