Gigi (1958)

☆ ☆ ☆

Gigi (1958) – V. Minnelli

The problem with this film (and perhaps with life generally) is that there is rather too much Louis Jourdan and not enough Maurice Chevalier.  That said, the Chevalier here, charming though he may be, is really only one step away from dirty old man (and also tainted by his real-life involvement with the Vichy government).  I prefer the young Chevalier energetically enacting French stereotypes in Love Me Tonight (1932).  But to return to the film at hand, as I said, there is too much Louis Jourdan and the picture becomes a bit dreary as we wait for him to realize that he is in love with young Leslie Caron. He is much better in Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948).  Caron herself is delightful as a rambunctious young girl being groomed to be a courtesan/prostitute – but playing younger than her age (27 playing, what, 16?) exaggerates her age difference with Jourdan which is kind of icky.  The songs by Lerner & Loewe vary in quality – only “Thank Heaven for Little Girls” was familiar to me.  However, Vincente Minnelli and his art department do work their magic to recreate Paris at the turn of the (last) century and overall the film is diverting enough to have won a bunch of Oscars.