Singin' In The Rain
3.5/4
Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell
Rated G
"Singin' in the Rain" is magical, and while it's a little overlong, it's also a lot of fun. The songs are cheery, the romance sizzles, and it's often very funny. But because it stars Gene Kelly, the dancing is standout.
Silent film stars Don Lockwood (Kelly) and Lina Lemont (Hagen) are America's sweethearts; they're the equivalent of Bennifer. Everyone loves them and wants to believe that they're together off screen. Of course that's not the truth. Don feels nothing for her, but Lina thinks they're in love because that's what the tabloids say. But with the arrival of the talkies, their stardom is threatened because Lina's voice is like fingernails on a blackboard. Their luck changes when a girl who helped Don escape from rabid fans (before she called him on his large ego), Kathy Selden (Reynolds), has a beautiful voice and is willing to dub Lina. Things get more interesting when Don and Lina start to fall for each other.
The dance sequences are the standouts. Gene Kelly displays amazing athleticism and flawless skill with his extravagant choreography. The numbers feel fresh because they're based on footwork and movement, not sexuality and flashy camerawork (not that movies like "Chicago" and "Step Up Revolution" don't have their pleasures). Matching him beat for beat is Donald O'Connor, who plays Don's best friend Cosmo Brown. Actually, because of his gift for physical comedy and quick wit, he upstages Kelly. Ditto for Hagen, who gets a lot of laughs for portraying what has to be one of the dumbest, if not the dumbest, character ever to grace the silver screen. Also worth mentioning is then-newcomer Debbie Reynolds, who displays a lot of innocence as the gentle Kathy. She's very good.
The film is very funny. Cosmo has a number of great one-liners, and the songs "Make 'Em Laugh" and "Moses" are very funny. Despite not getting along on set (Kelly was reportedly something of a tyrant), Kelly and O'Connor have a natural and unforced chemistry together. Kelly also has lovely chemistry with Reynolds, although they didn't get along either (Kelly insulted her for not being able to dance, but Fred Astaire found her crying under the piano and helped her learn). And of course, Jean Hagen is side-splitting as the brainless star.
Kelly directed this movie with Stanley Donen, and they rely on simple yet effective staging. There's no showing off, and what little visual effects it has are used sparingly and effectively. They highlight the dance routines by not employing a lot of quick cuts like they do now. It's obvious that the stars are performing their routines from beginning to end, which makes them all the more impressive. The dancing is like vaudeville (which is where O'Connor got his start), and as a result, feels so alive.
It's overlong and the lead gets upstaged a little by just about everyone, but it's still a great movie (although not the classic that everyone claims it is).
Starring: Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell
Rated G
"Singin' in the Rain" is magical, and while it's a little overlong, it's also a lot of fun. The songs are cheery, the romance sizzles, and it's often very funny. But because it stars Gene Kelly, the dancing is standout.
Silent film stars Don Lockwood (Kelly) and Lina Lemont (Hagen) are America's sweethearts; they're the equivalent of Bennifer. Everyone loves them and wants to believe that they're together off screen. Of course that's not the truth. Don feels nothing for her, but Lina thinks they're in love because that's what the tabloids say. But with the arrival of the talkies, their stardom is threatened because Lina's voice is like fingernails on a blackboard. Their luck changes when a girl who helped Don escape from rabid fans (before she called him on his large ego), Kathy Selden (Reynolds), has a beautiful voice and is willing to dub Lina. Things get more interesting when Don and Lina start to fall for each other.
The dance sequences are the standouts. Gene Kelly displays amazing athleticism and flawless skill with his extravagant choreography. The numbers feel fresh because they're based on footwork and movement, not sexuality and flashy camerawork (not that movies like "Chicago" and "Step Up Revolution" don't have their pleasures). Matching him beat for beat is Donald O'Connor, who plays Don's best friend Cosmo Brown. Actually, because of his gift for physical comedy and quick wit, he upstages Kelly. Ditto for Hagen, who gets a lot of laughs for portraying what has to be one of the dumbest, if not the dumbest, character ever to grace the silver screen. Also worth mentioning is then-newcomer Debbie Reynolds, who displays a lot of innocence as the gentle Kathy. She's very good.
The film is very funny. Cosmo has a number of great one-liners, and the songs "Make 'Em Laugh" and "Moses" are very funny. Despite not getting along on set (Kelly was reportedly something of a tyrant), Kelly and O'Connor have a natural and unforced chemistry together. Kelly also has lovely chemistry with Reynolds, although they didn't get along either (Kelly insulted her for not being able to dance, but Fred Astaire found her crying under the piano and helped her learn). And of course, Jean Hagen is side-splitting as the brainless star.
Kelly directed this movie with Stanley Donen, and they rely on simple yet effective staging. There's no showing off, and what little visual effects it has are used sparingly and effectively. They highlight the dance routines by not employing a lot of quick cuts like they do now. It's obvious that the stars are performing their routines from beginning to end, which makes them all the more impressive. The dancing is like vaudeville (which is where O'Connor got his start), and as a result, feels so alive.
It's overlong and the lead gets upstaged a little by just about everyone, but it's still a great movie (although not the classic that everyone claims it is).
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