ElMaruecan82 I wouldn't call "An American in Paris" one of the most overrated movies of all time since there seems to be a general consensus about this status. But it is certainly one of the most dated. On every single level it is so outrageously dated that you the year of release isn't even a alibi.First of all, there's something a little dishonest about the title; the film teases our expectations by using Paris in the title but apart from some obligatory establishing shots, Paris isn't remotely present in the story. "Casablanca" could get away with it because the idea of the oriental city mattered more than the real setting but in the flashback sequences, they did their best to show Paris in the background, because you just can't cheat with Paris. Besides, can you imagine "West Side Story" shot indoors? Can you imagine a matte with drawn hills in "The Sound of Music"? Even the sound of Gerschwin fails to make Paris alive.The film is also dated by Gene Kelly (and Stanley Donen)'s "Singin' in the Rain, the movie that should have won the Best picture of 1952, if "High Noon" hadn't get it. We're talking of the greatest, funniest and most iconic musicals of cinematic history a quite a leap from 1951. Sure, Vincente Minelli didn't intend to pull any laughs from the viewers, but while watching the film, I kept wondering which scene he really intended to make an ever lasting impact. "I Got Rhythm" where Gene Kelly makes some great moves in front of admiring kids is one of the few I can still remember and the whimsical tone used when he strolls down the street. Neither of them involves the romance.Indeed, the film is also dated by the standards of romances, you can't make a picture in Paris and not have the city play an integral part to it. In 1953, "Roman Holiday" was one of the first productions set in a foreign places setting the precedent where the local flavor enhances the passion between the protagonists. "An American in Paris" doesn't even allow us a small immersion in Paris, and apart from a few "bonjour" and "ça va", the film could have been set anywhere. I just saw recently the movie "Fanny" and at least, you could have a direct taste on the Marseilles waterfront. You can't cheat with Marseilles, you just can't cheat with Paris. "The Aristocats" felt more Parisian than this.Finally, there's no need to go till 1961, 1953 or 1952, Vincente Minelli's Best Picture winner is outdated by its Best Picture co-nominees, over the movie that changed the face of acting, winning three Oscars on that category, Elia Kazan's "A Streetcar Named Desire" and the no less groundbreaking "A Place in the Sun"? I don't even know if it's even the best-looking Picture of the three, even "Quo Vadis" looked gorgeous and Peter Ustinov stole the show as the complex and tormented Nero. "An American in Paris" is a glorious and lavish anachronism only highlighted by Gene Kelly's contagious smile, great performance (yes) and Leslie Caro who does her best.Caron would get more interesting roles in the future, but it's clear that her frail lovability was exploited at the expenses of a real chemistry with Kelly, I could feel why he fell in love but not that she could love him back. The film itself is based on a rather bland love triangle whose only spices are the interactions between Kelly and Nina Foch, despite a few high spots, some musical numbers fell flat. The film was a gigantic ballet put on screen, there's never a moment where they try to transcend the barriers and make something new and fresh. Even the musical sequences feel like fillers to the plot, the climax of the story is an excuse for music just when the romantic triangle started to be interesting, "Singin' in the Rain" had the same problem but it was in the middle of the film and here, it wasn't a plot that called for such digression, by the time it ends, you really stop caring about the characters. Especially when the young starlet is obviously too shy and utters English words that don't match her thick accent and when the friendliest person with Jerry gets the harshest treatment.This was the first musical to win after 15 years (the last one was "The Great Ziegfeld") so I wonder if nostalgia wasn't part of it, and that it marked the rebirth of Hollywood, the victory of Cecil B. De Mille's "Greatest Show on Earth" deepened the shift between the Academy and the new dispositions of Cinema in the 50's, but again, they didn't even nominate "Singin' in the Rain" so I'm probably missing something.I said I wouldn't call "An American in Paris" overrated, well, I'm having second thoughts now.

Steve Pulaski An American in Paris seems to be the film that many people have billed a classic so prolifically and impulsively that the brand stuck with very little questioning. A fairly obvious Best Picture win in 1951 coupled with suave, acclaimed leading man Gene Kelly in the starring role of a musical and you have a film that was bound to be a feast for your eyes that you could enjoy with your ears, as well. This is a film so rooted in predictable Hollywood musical fare of the time that if you stare into the decorated setpieces and Kelly's meaningful smile you almost, almost forget how forgettable this film really is.The story revolves around Kelly's Jerry Mulligan, a former Army serviceman from America now trying to make it as an artist in the dreamlike land of Paris, selling portraits on sidewalks and streetcorners. One of the first people to really pay attention to his works is Milo Roberts (Nina Foch), a woman who falls for him and his attitude almost immediately, so much so that she rents a studio for him to sell his artwork in a more professional manner. Jerry, however, becomes more infatuated with Lise Bouvier (Leslie Caron), a French woman he meets at a nightclub that he begins to actively pursue, despite her repeated attempts to make him go away (a standoffish personality, a fake phone number, etc). As Milo still tries to assist him, Jerry is hellbent on getting Lise to love him.In addition to Jerry, we are introduced to two people in the beginning of the film in a manner that sort of overstates the importance of these characters. One is Adam Cook (Oscar Levant), a struggling concert pianist who often works alongside Henri Baurel (Georges Guétary), a French lounge-singer. These two men, despite being introduce din the opening minutes of the film with Jerry's long monologue about his love for Paris even though he is an American, don't hold much weight come the hour-mark of the film, when An American in Paris largely turns to embellishing the rather awkward relationship between Jerry and Lise.Jerry and Lise's relationship is made awkward not only because of the fact that Lise really lacks personality outside of a pretty face and doesn't give us much of a reason to really concern ourselves with her presence, a feat that was so ubiquitous during this time in Hollywood that you almost can't critique it, but the annoying way Jerry becomes entranced with her off of what is ultimately just a vessel of beauty. An American in Paris really shows how far we, as a society, have become with how we approach women; what was once seen as an effort of true charm and persistency is now seen as offputting and creepy by the majority of women, despite whatever intention was assumed by the male. Jerry's intentions have far wandered past romantic and are entering in the aforementioned latter territory, though that doesn't seem to particularly concern him nor anyone else in the film.Once more, it's almost meaningless to bring this up because so many films had the same kind of masculine attitude towards females (I just watched His Girl Friday and the same case can be made with that film). The real issue I take with An American in Paris, however, is the lack of substance in the film. This is a film with very flat, impossibly perky, and incredulous characters that act and operate like robots from the 1950's rather than actual people. Gene Kelly's Jerry character is about as monotone and uninteresting as you can get, in addition to being very square, and both Adam and Henri have a fraction of that personality and are largely defined by strange character tropes and mannerisms. Milo seems to be the only real character in the film, and even she is underwritten as soon as Lise comes in, almost mirroring how Jerry entirely loses interest and ditches her upon meeting Lise.If that wasn't enough, An American in Paris has one of the biggest cinematic cop-outs I've yet to see. The final twenty minutes of an already lengthy and taxing one-hundred and thirteen minutes is a breathless interpretive dance number that just throws away any kind of conflict resolution and character development that was built up until this point. The film doesn't seem to have any interest in concluding its story with any kind of assured statement or seriousness, and instead goes full Broadway for a slight and outrageously expensive (well over $500,000 apparently) dance number that grows tiresome after a few minutes.An American in Paris gets considerable points for costume and set design, as even a mediocre script can't eclipse the majestic look and feel Paris always seems to ooze. However, with everything this film had going for it, there's little evidence of anything in the way to make this admittedly safe and harmless musical anything other than standard fare that was fortunate enough to get praised a bit too much by far too many people.Starring: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Nina Foch, Oscar Levant, and Georges Guétary. Directed by: Vincente Minnelli.

Sergeant_Tibbs I haven't seen much from Gene Kelly, but I do know it's a shame the Academy couldn't have waited one more year to bestow him with awards for Singin' In The Rain instead of An American In Paris. The film isn't too bad to start with and it begins with some promise of wit and personality. They're never developed and it feels like all the characters outside of Gene Kelly are a waste - though I did enjoy a certain fantasy scene, as extraneous as it may be. There's so very little reasons to invest in these characters, their relationships and their problems. The songs leave a lot to be desired and are often bland and forgettable. It just drags on and on. Pretty sets and costumes do not maketh the movie. Perhaps it was acclaimed at the time due to post-war international relations, but they should've just bitten the bullet and given the Best Picture award to A Streetcar Named Desire or A Place In The Sun. Either would have been fine. This is just one 100 minute long flatline. I dread Gigi now, I just wasn't looking forward to it before.5/10

brchthethird The musical is a genre that has seen its better days, honestly, but back in the glory days of Hollywood they could churn them out like nobody's business. AN American IN Paris, while not the best of them (or my favorite), certainly ranks up there as one of the all-time greats. The story is a bit on the ordinary/cliché side, but everything else that holds the film together is spectacular and quite a sight to see. There is amazing sets and production design, beautiful music, and of course some of the best choreographed dancing I've ever seen. Gene Kelly is the star of this movie and he makes it all seem so effortless. Of course, the supporting cast is no slouch either and more than pull their weight when it comes to the song and dance numbers. Another plus is the soundtrack and score, composed largely of tunes by George Gershwin (who also happens to be one of my favorite composers). Of course there is the title song which is played numerous times over the course of the film, but also other familiar songs like "'S Wonderful" and "I Got Rhythm," to name a couple. In a couple of instances, the appearance of certain tunes seem a little bit shoehorned, but it doesn't take very long for you to be swept up in the magic on screen and forget about everything else. One of my favorite moments in the film actually didn't involve singing or dancing. It was a fantasy sequence in which Jerry's (Gene Kelly) friend and fellow artist, Adam (Oscar Levant) imagines himself giving a concert of Gershwin's Concerto in F...except that he's also the conductor, the orchestra, and the audience who gives himself applause at the end. As a pianist myself, this sequence was very entertaining and humorous. The only problem is that it doesn't really fit into the larger framework of the film, and messes up the pacing a bit. Directly after this sequence, the pacing goes by a little too quick to catch up with itself. The only other issue I have with the film is the ending: not the magnificent song and dance sequence set to "An American in Paris," but the very end. Without spoiling it, I kind of wish the ending had been kept a little more ambiguous instead of going for the usual, crowd-pleasing happy one. That being said, I absolutely enjoyed watching this. It was a like a Technicolor dream full of vivacious energy, vibrant color and soul-stirring music. In my opinion, it's not to be missed.