esrosedotblog

FRED

It is interesting to me that no one, and I mean no one I knew, questioned Fred Astaire's presence as a romantic figure in film.

Here is the deal. The dude is just not very good looking. And as a romeo, he has significant limitations. There is never any chemistry with the women except on the dance floor.

I know that these are musicals and that we are supposed to suspend disbelief but, in retrospect, I think that it was a real challenge.

We always liked Gene Kelly first and the others after that.

Now, once again, this is a homosexual reaction. Straight women have some pretty surprising preferences and I suppose that these films were made for straight women.

Today's Astaire vehicle was certainly setup for the female audience. It is all about the fashion scene.

Funny Face (1957).

I am also not an Audrey Hepburn fan. So, as she is the female lead (doin' her own singin' and dancin') I guess that leaves me way out of the potential fannery for this 'classic'.

Audrey is torn between being an intellectual beat existentialist on one side and a fashion model on the other. Not an everyday conflict.

I think some of the problem is that the film is awfully dated. French intellectuals are so over. And fashion. What?

On the other hand, we have Kay Thompson as the magazine editor and she is pretty good. It is amazing to me how much she looks and sounds like Eve Arden.

Sadly, I am going to have to go thumbs down on this. I will give it a 2 out of Netflix5.