FUNNY FACE - FUNNY FACE (1 Blu-ray)

Although first impressions may suggest this is a slight offering, "Funny Face" holds up as one of the best fifties musicals on repeated viewing. Inspired by the chic fashion world of renowned photographer Richard Avedon and Dior's new look, Audrey Hepburn plays Jo, a drab Greenwich Village bookshop assistant and philosophy student who is spotted by Astaire's photographer as the ideal new face for the cover of "Quality" magazine. Before she knows it, Hepburn has been whisked off to Paris for fashion fittings and photos, with the proviso that she can also attend some philosophy lectures with a renowned exponent of "Empathicalism". The Parisian scenes are pure tourist chocolate box and none the worse for it - especially when Astaire gets to dance an impromptu Spanish routine under Hepburn's balcony. Thanks to the DVD release, we're now able to see all three leads in the split screen sequence where they explore Paris. Kay Thompson is a vital force as Maggie, the editor of Quality magazine, who commands "Think Pink" at the start of the show. Hepburn can't really sing but boy does she dance well in a Parisian beatnik bar! Other excellent Gershwin songs such as the title song, "S'Wonderful" and "Ring dem Bells" (the latter a great comic routine for Dick and Maggie as they infiltrate the philosopher's salon disguised as Florida spiritualists) all conspire to make this as effervescent as pink champagne. I think it eclipses Astaire's "The Bandwagon" from the same period, which was largely based around two songs, "Thats Entertainment" and "Triplets". Sure, its hard to believe Hepburn would fall for Astaire, given the age gap, but I thought musicals were all about suspension of disbelief anyway! Treat yourself and check this little gem out.

Man, so much more tha I expected. A bit of soft romcom with dance we rented as a break from political news? But this turns out o be only loosely based on the Broadway show in which Astaire starred 30 years before. This is about the fashion industry (rather like Devil Wears Prada) only from the viewpoint of a fictionalized (and dancing!) Richard Avedon, who was a in reality consultant designer for the film as well. The result of a collaboration between Astaire, Avedon, and Gershwin, in effect, and a star vehicle for former ballerina Audrey Hepburn, with all her charm turned to 11. as a philosophy student -intellectual turned model. It's a dated piece, the attitudes towards romance and women might be forward looking at the time but seem horribly paternalist now, yet seen in context it isn't really too offensive, as Hepburn's character is the active agent of her own story arc, and is given credit for her intelligence throughout the script. Her dancing is superb, and the slightly-aging Astaire is still legendary, umbrella-twirling, jazz tapping, blues-singing, and generally outdoing music stars half his age. They have some real chemistry, and Avedon's design is mid-century genius. WAAAYYYYYY better than i thought, I'm a late-middle-aged football-on-Sundays guy, and I really enjoyed this.

Done in typical Hollywood 50's style, Funny Face is the story of a bookshop clerk (Audrey Hepburn) with a love for all things philosophical who happens to have a 'funny face'. She is discovered by a world-famous fashion photographer (wonderful Fred Astaire) who loves her 'sunny funny face' and thinks that she could be the biggest thing in fashion. He convinces his magazine editor (Kay Thompson) to take a chance on the girl, and bribing Hepburn with the chance to meet her philosophy lecturer idol, they whisk her off to the most fashionable city in the world - Paris!!It was called by one reviewer 'a delightful mixture of intelligence and froth' which is exactly what it is. It's sheer entertainment like we don't have in today's cinema, with no pretence, just fun.Audrey Hepburn is lovely as usual, and really gets to show off her dancing talent in the classic 'Basal Metabollism' sequence. She looks amazing in the Givenchy/Edith Head fashion of the day, the entire movie plays like a huge fashion show for her (which is always a plus).Fred Astaire is charming and proves that he can still dance up a storm and croon a song even if the age difference between him and Hepburn is slightly unbelievable. But he charms you into forgetting all that.Kay Thompson was really great as the magazine editor, loud and brassy and very funny.The songs are Gershwin classics and are performed excellently by the entire cast. Audrey Hepburn charms her way through 'How Long Has This Been Going On?', Fred Astaire sings 'He Loves, She Loves' and dances another of his classic routines to the title song 'Funny Face'. And Kay Thompson gets to belt out 'Think Pink'.But the most stunning aspect of this film really is the picture quality and technicolour. I have honestly never seen a better looking technicolour film. It's utterly beautiful and hasn't aged a single bit, from the dance to Funny Face in the developing room with only red lighting, to the underground cafe' in Paris lit by multicoloured lights.A really nice, entertaining movie that is a rightful classic.

Bonjour,l'état du DVD d'occasion est très correct.J'ai eu une appréciable surprise à l'intérieur du DVD.4 magnifiques affiches cartonnées collector du film éditées sous la forme d'une carte postale sont présentes dans ce DVD.C'est peut-être normal puisque ce DVD est une édition spéciale mais en tout cas elles sont bien conservées et esthétiquement agréables à regarder.Je le recommande pour les amateurs du genre.

« Drôle de frimousse » (« Funny Face ») est un film musical de Stanley Donen, tourné en 1957. Sur un argument assez simple et léger : Joëlle (Audrey Hepburn), un jeune employée d'une librairie de Greenwich Village entichée de philosophie, est repérée par le photographe Dick Avery (Fred Astaire) puis embauchée par la redoutable Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson), rédactrice en chef de Quality Magazine, pour devenir le mannequin vedette, à Paris, de la collection du grand couturier Paul Duval. La jeune fille mal fagotée et à la drôle de frimousse est alors en passe de devenir une véritable icône de mode. Dans un Paris de cartes postales, une romance naissante anime les relations entre Joëlle et Dick, mais la fascination de la jeune fille pour les thèses avant-gardistes et « empathicalistes » du professeur Emile Flostier (Michel Auclair) vient perturber l'aventure.Le film enchaine des scènes très rythmée, amusantes et sans prétention, avec de magnifiques passages chantées et dansés avec une relative sobriété. Le charme d'Audrey Hepburn éclate dès les premières scènes d'un film qui donne une grande place à son sourire éclatant. Fred Astaire, dans un rôle inspiré par le célèbre Roger Avedon, affiche une belle assurance et une toute aussi belle voix. Kay Thompson est remarquable dans son personnage de directrice tyrannique (au point que la Miranda Priestly du « Diable s'habille en Prada » semble avoir inspiré par elle). C'est sans doute l'absence de prétentions, au profit d'une histoire romantique à souhait qui fait tout le charme du film qui, au passage, porte un regard d'une amusante ironie sur les intellectuels et les artistes du quartier Saint Germain des Prés.Quelques scènes sont particulièrement réussies, notamment la suite de séquences consacrées aux séances de photos dans des lieux emblématiques de Paris, la réunion des empathicalistes ou la scène finale en robe de mariée. « Drôle de frimousse » reste avant tout marqué par la fabuleuse élégance d'Audrey Hepburn et la gaité simple des passages chantés du film.Les bonus du DVD proposent une gaerie de photos et un reportage sur la Paramount, dans les années 1950.

Audrey Hepburn does indeed fill the air with smiles in Stanley Donen's exquisite and happy film about a shy book clerk in New York who is transformed into the toast of the Paris fashion world. George and Ira Gershwin wrote some of their best songs for the film and a few additional numbers were contributed by Roger Edens and Leonard Gershe, who also wrote the delightful story. The premise is quite frivilous but the execution glorious and joyful and it is easy to see why this was Audrey's favorite among all her films.Fred Astaire is winning as fashion photographer Dick Avery and Kay Thompson is marvelous as Miss Prescott, the one-track mind owner of Quality Magazine he works for. Hepburn is adorable as the shy New York bookstore clerk, Jo Stockton. They bully her into letting them do a photo shoot, making a mess off things for her to clean up. From the moment Donen's camera catches her sliding on the ladder in panic we are in love and we know it won't be long before Jo and Dick are also.Jo is a shy intellectual, mad about empathicalism, a screwy philosophy endorsed by Professor Emile Flustre (Michel Auclair) who, of course, lives in Paris. Once Dick displays his own brand of empathy by kissing Jo while they are cleaning up, he gets an idea for a new layout and the seed of love is planted in Jo's heart. Donen captures Hepburn's child-like yet feminine grace like no one else ever has and her wistful and waif-like beauty has never been seen to better advantage than in Funny Face.Making Jo the face for Quality magazine may not be such an easy task, however, as it goes against everything she believes. Being chased by Miss Prescott's minions, Jo ducks into Dick's darkroom, where she and Dick share a lovely song and dance moment to the title-tune, Funny Face. Once Jo discovers it will all lead to Paris, where she can meet the great empathicalist, Emile, she gives the green light and the fun really begins.Stanley Donen staged every song himself, and it shows. That moment that nearly always exists in every musical, even the great ones, when we are tempted to fast-forward and get on with the story, simply does not exist here. Every number is lively and imaginative, easily holding our interest. None of the numbers is more joyful or fun than the one when they first arrive in Paris and become typical tourists. Ray June's photography shows off the beautiful City of Lights and the funny and happy face of Audrey Hepburn in wonderful fashion.It is like watching a great chef make the sweetest and most delicious of pastries as Dick takes Jo through one great shoot after another all over Paris, transforming the cocoon into a butterfly. The two share a lovely song sequence in a garden with a brook outside a church, when Jo finally tells Dick she is in love with him. Hepburn in a white wedding gown is as elegant and graceful as the doves and swans surrounding them.There are some fun complications involving Jo's idol Emile, of course, who Dick knows is more man than philosopher. A fun and frantic ending caps a film that is a sheer delight from beginning to end. Astaire was somewhat older than Hepburn and it seems to work in the film's favor, as you could see where the innocent Jo would need a more worldly man to appreciate her charms rather than take advantage of them.This is a wonderful confection from Stanley Donen, who would work with Audrey once again in another classic, Charade. The little girl from Holland who aided the Dutch resistence during WWII grew into one of the most lovely and luminous stars ever to grace a movie screen. She is gone now and Funny Face is a wonderful way to remember her......

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