Gigi (1958)

Star Rating: 2
Length of Film: 119 minutes
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan, Hermoine Gingold, Eva Gabor, Jacques Bergerac, Isabel Jeans, & John Abbott
Oscars: Arthur Freed (best picture), Vincente Minnelli (director), Alan Jay Lerner (screenplay), William A. Horning, E. Preston Ames, Henry Grace, F. Keogh Gleason (art direction), Joseph Ruttenberg (photography), Cecil Beaton (costume), Adrienne Fazan (editing), Andre Previn (music), Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner (song)







I did not like this movie. The movie started out by an older gentlemen, Honoré Lachaille (Maurice Chevalier), narrating and talking to the audience. Ugh...so stupid!!! Anyway, the movie is a mix between The Princess Diaries and My Fair Lady. Gigi (Leslie Caron) lives with her operatic mother, who we never meet, and her Grandmama, Madame Alvarez (Hermoine Gingold). Gigi visits her high class Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans) to learn how to behave in high society; how to eat lobster, sit down in a chair correctly, identifying fine gems and stones in jewelry.

Gaston (Louis Jourdan), a wealthy young man is bored with high society, visits Madame Alvarez and her granddaughter, Gigi. At first, Gaston just views Gigi as an annoying little girl, who asks inappropriate questions:

Gigi: Gaston, do you make love all the time?
Gaston: I beg your pardon
Gigi: Do you make love all the time?
Gaston: Good heavens, no. The only people who make love all the time, are liars.

 Gaston went to many parties, dated many women, but none of them lasted. Of course....the inevitable happens, without even realizing it, he falls for Gigi. I am very glad that the costume designer won an Oscar. The dress that Gigi wears in the end, is gorgeous!

The music sucked, it wasn't anything special and the did a lot of rhythmic speaking which was pointless and the music was poorly written. The melody wasn't hummable, and...forgettable. I like romantic movies, but this movie didn't do anything for me. I didn't feel the connection between the characters, and the plot line lacked substance. I really don't know how this movie won 8 Oscars.