A second viewing of Singin' in the Rain for me, and it's just as fun and frivolous. Set in the twenties at the time of silent movies giving way to talkies, this musical sees Gene Kelly's film star fall for Debbie Reynold's young aspiring actress. Together with mate Donald O'Connor they cook up a scheme to replace Jean Hagen's voice with Reynold's as the former leading lady has a screech that's only suitable for silent film.
brilliant...
Some musical plots are a bit inconsequential, but Singin' in the Rain has a real humdinger of a premise, with a fantastic old Hollywood setting that gels well with the Technicolor MGM musical style of the 1950's. All involved are a delight to watch, Kelly and O'Connor show off some spectacular dance sequence, including the famous title song and the non-stop pratfall masterclass that is Make 'Em Laugh. Jean Hagen is particularly excellent, and I really liked the conceit at the beginning of the movie where she doesn't speak until just the right moment, her nasal twang like nails down a blackboard - she's a monstrous creation and really the unsung star of the show (although she was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar, she's not one of the big names on the DVD box), as she remains likable despite her manipulative ways. I felt some sympathy with her as no one told her that her career was going to end as the talkies came in, a fate that befell many real actors of that time. It's true that overall some of the numbers are more forgettable than others, and except for Hairspray, that's true of any movie musical. The whole is an infectious, joyous celebration of old Hollywood glitz and glamour, with lashings of fantasy and sugar.
briefly...
A witty, fizzy confection that draws on fascinating real life Hollywood events and recycles old songs to create a wonderfully fun movie.
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