Funny Face

[slaytonf]

One of my favorite musicals. I see in advertisements for the TCM Film Festival that it will be part of the lineup. I hope this means a restoration. I like Stanley Donen's work as much as I do any other director's, and think he deserves more recognition. Consider this catalogue: On the Town, Royal Wedding, Singin' in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Pajama Game, Indiscrete, Damn Yankees!, Charade, Bedazzled, among others. Of his many abilities, one I admire most is his use of color, and Funny Face represents his best work. In fact, Funny Face has the best use of color of any film I know, from Kay Thompson's wild unfurling of the pink ribbon to Audrey Hepburn's dance in the darkly lit nightclub. The best sequence in the film, the best in all film, is the photo shoot. A magical assembling and disassembling of images, at once both a wry commentary on the artificiality of the movie business, and unashamed delight at its achievement, culminating in Miss Hepburn's descent on the staircase before the Winged Victory, a great moment in art.

 

"Take the picture! Take the picture! Take the picture!"

 

 

I won't be going to the Festival, so I will be envying the ones who get to see that on a big screen.