The first time I saw Singin' in the Rain (1952) was in a small corner of my computer screen as I kept busy with other work. Needless to say, the movie soon drew me in and I ended up putting off the work to finish the film.
The movie keeps a very interesting story for a musical. I find that sometimes either the story gets lost in the songs (Nine) or the songs get lost in the story (Dreamgirls.) Singin' in the Rain is one of those rare musicals that balance both perfectly. The story is a complicated drama of old cinema where silent film stars had trouble transitioning to talking films. The songs are classic tunes that were weaved into the storyline and serve as a break for the storytelling in the film. The performances are spot on for the most part and the movie is entertaining as a whole. My only problem is Gene Kelly's showboating throughout the film. If he's not the focus of a scene, he finds the quickest way to make himself the focus - even by adding a ludicrous and unnecessary extended dance number near the end of the film that doesn't further the story by even one second by the time it's done.
Overall, a very enjoyable film, but Kelly brings it down a notch from what it could have been with a little creative editing. (9.0/10)
No comments:
Post a Comment