My Fair Lady

My Fair Lady ★★★★★

Social Mobility:
Mencapai cita-2 yang anda tidak tahu anda mampu meraihnya ...

“Bravo, Eliza! ”

~ Sambungan review dari Pygmalion (1938)

Tahun Keluar: 1964
Negara Asal: USA
Sutradara: George Cukor
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Gladys Cooper, Jeremy Brett, Theodore Bikel

Jaman sudah berubah. Kerajaan dengan otoritas mutlak hampir semuanya sudah punah. Republik dengan demokrasinya menggantikan sistem kuno tersebut untuk memastikan distribusi kesempatan ekonomi untuk seluruh rakyat. Namun demikian, cita-2 luhur Social Mobility yang diimpikan tersebut masih sering menjadi ilusi saja.

“Seandainya aku lahir di keluarga mampu, aku akan bisa sekolah sampai universitas dan menjadi pakar yang hebat ... ”

“Seandainya aku punya kesempatan belajar main piano, aku akan bisa menjadi pianis yang hebat ... ”

Miris membayangkan ada berapa banyak bakat terpendam yang hangus begitu saja gara-2 tidak ada kesempatan untuk mengembangkannya. Mungkin inilah alasannya mengapa cerita drama, kritik sosial, karya George Bernard Shaw ini masih terus langgeng, relevan sampai saat ini, dan mampu menarik minat penonton baru: “Seandainya aku punya kesempatan ini, aku akan bisa begini,” “seandainya aku punya kesempatan itu, aku akan bisa begitu,” et cetera, dan lain sebagainya. Mencapai cita-2 yang anda tidak tahu anda mampu meraihnya.

Versatilitas karya Shaw ini tidak dapat dipungkiri karena tulisan Shaw sendiri yang sangat baik; sedemikian baiknya sehingga segala macam adaptasi yang dihasilkan selanjutnya: musical, film, atau film musical, semuanya tidak dapat meninggalkan dialog-2 aslinya. Maka tidak mengherankan kalau hanya Shaw saja (atau Shaw dan timnya) yang pernah memenangkan penghargaan script terbaik untuk cerita ini; penulis-2 lain yang mengadaptasi cerita ini tidak pernah memenangkan penghargaan script adaptasi terbaik -- karena mereka tinggal menjiplak saja dialog-2 yang sudah ada.

Adaptasi dari musical (teater musical) ke film musical selalu menempatkan sutradara pada dua pilihan: 1) membuat filmnya seperti teater musical dengan menempatkan kamera-2 di sekitarnya -- misalnya, West Side Story (1961), atau yang diproduksi akhir-2 ini Les Misérables (2012); dimana semua dialognya adalah libretto, atau 2) membuat filmnya seperti film biasa dengan memasukkan musik di dalamnya. Pilihan pertama sesungguhnya tidak masuk akal. Mengapa? Karena tujuan utama mengadaptasi musical ke film musical adalah untuk menarik minat penonton film -- yang mayoritas tidak menyukai musical, untuk melihat versi filmnya. Tetapi kalau filmnya terlalu mirip dengan musicalnya -- dengan libretto segala (that goddamn libretto! :-) ), terus untuk apa mengadaptasinya ke film? Penonton film tetap tidak akan menyukainya. Sebaliknya, penonton teater tidak akan tertarik melihat film tersebut karena mereka sudah menyukai musicalnya. Mungkin karena inilah film-2 musical seperti West Side Story atau Les Misérables, walaupun menerima pujian dari kritikus-2 film ternama (sebagian besar dari mereka adalah penggemar musical), tidak pernah betul-2 menjadi favorit di kalangan penggemar film. Pilihan kedua adalah pilihan yang lebih masuk akal, tetapi memerlukan kinerja yang lebih tactful, considerate, atau pengertian.

Sutradara George Cukor -- karya-2nya yang lain a.l. Holiday (1938), The Women (1939), The Philadelphia Story (1940), Gaslight (1944), Adam's Rib (1949) -- berhasil memadukan dialog-2 dari karya aslinya dan musik & lirik dari Frederick Loewe dan Alan Jay Lerner dengan porsi yang seimbang dan timing yang pas; sedemikian rupa sehingga penonton tidak dapat memutuskan apakah mereka lebih senang melihat para pemainnya berbicara atau menyanyi. Dalam film ini, bagian-2 yang cocok disampaikan melalui dialog, disampaikan melalui dialog; bagian-2 yang cocok disampaikan melalui musik, disampaikan melalui musik. Musik & lirik dari Loewe dan Lerner berhasil mengimbangi dialog-2 tajam (serius sekaligus lucu dan menggelitik) dari Shaw: musiknya indah dan memorable, liriknya menarik -- sebagian romantis, sebagian kocak, sebagian tidak masuk akal, dan sebagian filosofis. Penilain penulis, hanya mereka yang betul-2 buta musik saja yang tidak menyukai film musical ini. Pendekatan Cukor ini kemudian diadopsi oleh Robert Wise, yang sebelumnya menggarap West Side Story, untuk The Sound of Music yang keluar tahun berikutnya yang juga meraih sukses gemilang.

Selain berhasil melestarikan dialog-2 dalam karya aslinya, Cukor juga berhasil melindungi inti ceritanya dari “serangan” Hollywood untuk meromantisir hubungan antara protagonist wanitanya, Eliza Doolittle, dan antagonis prianya, Professor Higgins. Studio Warner Bros. tidak dapat disangkal ingin “menggaris-bawahi” potensi romance antara kedua pemeran utama ini. Beruntung sekali Cukor berhasil menyenangkan kedua-belah pihak: membuat penonton terbuai dengan potensi romance yang tersirat, tetapi tetap menjaga akhir cerita yang terbuka:

Professor Higgins: “Eliza? Where the devil are my slippers? ”

Sebelum penonton mengetahui reaksi Eliza -- melempar lagi sandal tersebut ke Professor Higgins atau tidak, Cukor cepat-2 menggelapkan filmnya ... Fade Out, The End, tamat, meninggalkan penonton penasaran dan bertanya-2: Siapa yang akhirnya mengalah? Bagaimana nasib Eliza selanjutnya?

Satu berita paling terkenal dari produksi film ini adalah perseteruan sengit antara Jack Warner, pemilik studio Warner Bros., dan anggota cast musical terhadap pilihannya atas Audrey Hepburn daripada Julie Andrews yang saat itu sudah memerankan Eliza dalam teater musical-nya. Tidak mempedulikan protes tersebut, Warner memilih Hepburn karena dia mempunyai daya tarik box office yang lebih besar -- dan seandainya dia menolak, Warner konon siap menawarkan peran ini ke Elizabeth Taylor. Mengetahui kehadirannya tidak diinginkan (baca: kemampuan vocalnya diragukan), Hepburn mengajukan syarat kepada Warner bahwa dia hanya akan menerima peran ini kalau dia diperbolehkan menyanyi sendiri. Warner menerima syarat tersebut. Di akhir produksi, tanpa sepengetahuan Hepburn, Warner memanggil Marni Nixon, penyanyi soprano yang sering men-dub suara aktres-2 dalam film-2 musical -- a.l. suara Deborah Kerr dalam The King and I (1956), suara Natalie Wood dalam West Side Story (1961), dan mengganti praktis semua suara Hepburn dalam nyanyian dengan suara Nixon. Ketika Hepburn akhirnya mengetahui hal ini, Hepburn kecewa berat, tetapi tidak bisa apa-2.

Perasaan animosity terhadap Hepburn dari anggota cast musical (sebagian besar dari mereka adalah anggota AMPAS) ternyata terbawa sampai ke Academy Awards. My Fair Lady menerima 12 nominasi Oscar, memenangkan 8 Oscar, dan semua peran aktingnya menerima nominasi Oscar, kecuali Hepburn! Rex Harrison memenangkan Aktor Terbaik. Stanley Holloway menerima nominasi Aktor Pendukung Terbaik. Gladys Cooper menerima nominasi Aktres Pendukung Terbaik (padahal dia bukan anggota cast musical). Hepburn ... NOL! Dia terkena “single out”, diskriminasi, seakan-2 ingin menunjukkan bahwa dirinya tidak termasuk dalam anggota cast film ini. Deborah Kerr tidak mengalami diskriminasi dalam The King and I, suaranya  juga di-dub, dan dia bukan anggota cast musical. Natalie Wood juga tidak mengalami diskriminasi dalam West Side Story, suaranya juga di-dub, dan dia juga bukan anggota cast musical. Mengapa hanya Hepburn yang terkena “single out”? Menilai secara fair, walaupun Hepburn tidak menyanyi sendiri, dia tetap berakting sendiri ... :-) Seperti disebutkan di atas, My Fair Lady mempunyai bagian akting & dialog dan bagian musik & lirik dengan porsi yang seimbang. Hepburn tidak dapat disangkal melakukan banyak akting. Sebagai contoh, scene ketika Eliza meledak terhadap professor Higgins sekembali mereka dari Embassy Ball:

Eliza Doolittle: “I sold flowers. I didn't sell myself. Now you've made a lady of me, I'm not fit to sell anything else.”

Dialog dari Shaw ini tidak main-2 -- untuk mengucapkannya dengan meyakinkan memerlukan penjiwaan yang tinggi. Atau, scene ketika Eliza kembali ke  jalanan dimana dia dulu berjualan bunga dan kecewa menemukan teman-2nya tidak mengenali dirinya lagi. Hepburn juga perlu menguasai transisi dari aksen Cockney (rakyat jelata) ke aksen Queen (aristokrat); dan Hepburn melakukannya dengan tanpa cela, passionate, dan percaya diri. Tidak cukup menerima diskriminasi tersebut, Hepburn harus menerima tamparan terakhir dari Academy Awards dengan Julie Andrews menerima Aktres Terbaik untuk Mary Poppins (1964), seakan-2 ingin menunjukkan bahwa Andrews-lah yang berhak memerankan Eliza dalam film ini. Dan Hepburn harus tetap tersenyum sepanjang acara Oscar tersebut :-) Betapa ironisnya, film Hepburn yang paling dikenang oleh penonton adalah film yang paling mendatangkan kenangan buruk untuk dirinya.

Di akhir hari, when the dust settles, setelah semuanya reda, pertanyaan terhadap keputusan Warner tersebut tetap tertinggal: Apakah keputusannya memilih Hepburn tersebut tepat? Dengan segala diskriminasi yang dialami Hepburn, sumbutkah hasilnya? Is it worth it? Jawabannya, YA ... dengan huruf besar! Dua scene, khususnya, yang membuat segala animosity tersebut sumbut hasilnya adalah:

1) Scene pacuan kuda; betul-2 scene yang fresh/original dan menyegarkan setelah penonton capek menyaksikan scene-2  latihan berbicara yang menjenuhkan. Admiration, surprise, suspense, dan comedy ... semuanya bertemu menjadi satu. Dan siapa yang tidak ingat gaun yang membalut rapat Eliza dan suspense menuju akhir pacuan kuda ketika Eliza akhirnya tidak mampu menyembunyikan karakter aslinya dan meledak menjadi comedy yang mengejutkan:

Eliza Doolittle: “Come on, Dover! Come on, Dover! Move your bloomin' arse! ”

Lagi-2, dialog ini tidak main-2 -- untuk mengucapkannya memerlukan penjiwaan yang tinggi. Tidak berhenti sampai di sini saja, Eliza tampil lebih mengejutkan lagi dalam:

2) Scene Embassy Ball; ketika Eliza dengan gaun pestanya turun dari tangga ... wow, tidak hanya memukau, tetapi sekaligus mengharukan. Vocal Hepburn tiba-2 berubah menjadi husky (seperti orang yang kehabisan suara) dan raut wajahnya berubah menjadi sendu/melankolis. Ketika Professor Higgins beranjak pergi meninggalkan ruangan sementara Eliza berdiri dengan tenang menunggunya di belakang dan Higgins kemudian menyadari kesalahan tersebut dan langsung berbalik menjemput Eliza ... ha, 1 - 0 untuk Eliza! :-)

Tidak mengherankan produser Jack Warner mati-2an menginginkan Hepburn memainkan peran Eliza.

Disamping kehebatan dialog dan musik, My Fair Lady adalah kehebatan visual. Cukor tidak menyia-nyiakan desain produksi dan desain kostum garapan fotografer Cecil Beaton. Bersama dengan ciematographer Harry Stradling, Cukor juga berhasil memasukkan kekayaan dan detil visual ke dalam filmnya, mulai dari stylization scene pacuan kuda sampai ke segala pernik peralatan aneh yang ada dalam ruang laboratorium Professor Higgins :-)

Pujian khusus perlu diberikan kepada Cecil Beaton: desain kostumnya dengan tepat menggambarkan desain gaun dari jamannya; yang saat itu desainnya mirip seperti yang dikatakan Coco Chanel -- seperti korden atau dekorasi kue tart :-) Menarik melihat perbedaan antara gaun yang dikenakan Eliza dalam scene pacuan kuda, yang notabene pilihan Colonel Pickering -- dia memilih desain Inggris, dan gaun yang dikenakan Eliza dalam scene Embassy Ball, yang notabene pilihan Professor Higgins -- dia memilih desain Perancis. Gaun yang dikenakan Eliza dalam scene Embassy Ball ini ternyata mirip seperti desain Coco Chanel: simple yet elegant. Dengan kata lain, modern. Dengan gaun modern ini (bahkan sampai saat ini!) Hepburn tampil stand-out di antara wanita-2 lain yang mengenakan gaun dari  jamannya. Yes, long live Coco Chanel :-)

All in all, My Fair Lady adalah film dengan dialog yang tajam, musik yang indah, dan visual yang menakjubkan. Betul-2 komplit.

Professor Higgins: “MOTHER! MOTHER! ”
Mrs. Higgins: “What is it, Henry? What's happened? ”
Professor Higgins: “She's gone.”
Mrs. Higgins: “Well, of course, dear, what did you expect? ”
Professor Higgins: “What ... what am I to do? ”
Mrs. Higgins: “Do without, I suppose.”
Professor Higgins: “And so I shall! If the Higgins oxygen burns up her little lungs, let her seek some stuffiness that suits her. She's an owl sickened by a few days of my sunshine. Very well, let her go, I can do without her. I can do without anyone. I have my own soul! My own spark of divine fire! ”
Mrs. Higgins: “Bravo, Eliza! ”

2 - 0 untuk Eliza! :-)

Klasik.

My Fair Lady dapat anda temukan di eBay.com

Sabrina

Sabrina ★★★★☆

Ketika Cinderella berfilsafat ...

Tahun Keluar: 1954
Negara Asal: USA
Sutradara: Billy Wilder
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden

Di bawah arahan Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, Sunset Boulevard, Stalag 17, Witness for the Prosecution), yang juga ikut menggarap script adaptasi dari teaternya, Sabrina adalah kisah Cinderella modern yang berhasil dengan sangat baik menggabungkan antara elemen-2 klasik fairy-tale dengan elemen-2 modern realitas dari jamannya -- menjadikan film ini drama romantic comedy yang pas untuk mereka yang sudah dewasa atau tua sekalipun atau bahkan mereka yang tidak menyukai romantic comedy.

Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) adalah anak pengemudi keluarga industriawan Larrabee, Thomas (John Williams), yang berasal dari Inggris yang pindah ke Amerika Serikat “satu paket” dengan mobil Rolls-Royce ketika keluarga tersebut mengimpor mobil tersebut. Lahir dan besar di kompleks perumahan Larrabee, Sabrina mengenal dengan sangat baik dua anak laki-2 keluarga tersebut, Linus (Humphrey Bogart) yang serius dan workaholic, dan David (William Holden) yang sebaliknya -- senang pesta, gonta-ganti pasangan, dan baginya setiap hari adalah hari Minggu; khususnya David yang usianya sebaya yang ketika kecil sering bermain bersama. Witing tresno jalaran soko kulino, Sabrina menyimpan “crush” terhadap David yang obviously terlalu sibuk dengan ego dan urusannya sendiri untuk menyadari hal tersebut. Ayah Sabrina, bahagia dan puas dengan status dan posisinya (juga notabene berasal dari generasi yang berbeda dan masyarakat yang berbeda pula), tidak merestui sikap Sabrina karena menurutnya setiap orang sudah mempunyai tempat sendiri-2 dan Sabrina sebaiknya tidak menciptakan “riak” yang bisa mengganggu tatanan yang sudah harmonis tersebut. Karena alasan ini, ayahnya mengirim Sabrina ke Paris, pertama untuk belajar masak, kedua untuk melupakan David. Sekembalinya dari Paris, Sabrina memang berubah -- berubah menjadi lebih modis, lebih percaya diri, tetapi tetap menyimpan “crush” terhadap David. Kali ini Sabrina berhasil “sweep David off his feet”, membuat dia mabuk kepayang, sampai lupa bahwa dia sudah bertunangan dengan wanita dari keluarga yang merupakan partner bisnis keluarganya. Melihat situasi berbahaya ini, Linus berusaha menyabotase usaha David mendekati Sabrina, sekaligus mengalihkan perhatian Sabrina dari David ke dirinya.

Berhasilkah Linus memisahkan Sabrina dari David?

Tetapi hati-2, cinta bukanlah permainan yang dapat dengan gampang disetir, karena jalannya bisa mengarah ke mana saja, termasuk ke penyetirnya sendiri :-)

Didukung cast utama yang masing-2 adalah bintang ternama pada jamannya, plus telah mengantongi piala Oscar ketika film ini dibuat, kharisma mereka bertiga berhasil mengatasi halangan usia yang ada, sedemikian rupa sehingga karakter-2 yang mereka mainkan tetap believable. Holden berusia 11 tahun lebih tua dari Hepburn, sedang Bogart 30 tahun lebih tua darinya -- 4 tahun lebih tua dari Williams yang memerankan ayah Sabrina :-) Penampilan Williams khususnya, aktor Inggris yang “sangat Inggris” -- yang selalu tampil meyakinkan dalam film-2 Alfred Hitchcock, memberi “jangkar” yang kuat terhadap tema masyarakat berkelas yang menjadi contentious issue (pusat argumen) dalam film ini.

Berhasilkah cinta mengalahkan, mendobrak tatanan masyarakat yang menurut ayah Sabrina sudah harmonis dan sebaiknya jangan diganggu tersebut?

Sinematografi hitam-putih kontras tajam dari Charles Lang membumbui kisah Cinderella modern ini dengan nuansa “noir” yang membangkitkan perasaan “doom” -- sesuatu yang buruk bakalan terjadi, sama seperti dalam film-2 Wilder yang lain. Kostum-2 elegan yang dikenakan Hepburn, gaun pesta warna hitam (black cocktail dress) khususnya, hasil kolaborasi antara Edith Head -- yang mendandani hampir semua leading ladies dalam film-2 Hitchcock, dan Hubert de Givenchy, berhasil bersinar terang  melampaui batasan warna hitam-putih filmnya. Last, but not least, soundtrack lagu-2 pengiring, La vie en rose karya Louiguy dan Edith Piaf khususnya, yang dinyanyikan sendiri oleh Hepburn dengan suaranya yang “shaky” (without dubbing, thank goodness!), melengkapi film ini dengan melodi yang manis dan melankolis.

What a perfect combination.

Sabrina dapat anda temukan di eBay.com

Two for the Road

Movie Review: Two for the Road (*** out of 4 stars)

Year of Release: 1967

Country of Origin: UK

Director: Stanley Donen

Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Albert Finney

Plot outline: A married couple's relationship rises and falls during a series of European trips (IMDb).

The story (***1/2 it delightfully catches not only the exuberance of the mid-1960s but also the pains of growing old and maintaining the flame of love; by the end of the movie, love remains precious, if not supreme)

How the story unfolds (***1/2 the script skillfully negotiates the tightrope between frothy romantic comedy and melodramatic marriage--this is not the bitter pill of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" but the bittersweet maturing relationship between two very vibrant and strong personalities)

The characters (***)

The dialogue (***)

The acting (*** Hepburn and Finney's performance may well be the finest of their careers)

Overall rating *** out of 4 stars

Robin and Marian

Movie Review: Robin and Marian (** out of 4 stars)

Year of Release: 1976
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Richard Lester
Cast: Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, Robert Shaw, Richard Harris

Plot outline: An aging Robin Hood comes home to resume his relationship with Maid Marian and his battles against the Sheriff of Nottingham (IMDb).

The story (** some ideas should be left alone; Shakespeare knew that Romeo and Juliet couldn't be allowed to grow up; the story of Robin Hood is one of arrogance, and long-shot dice throwing, and the romance of victory; making Robin Hood grow up, maybe it's a good idea, but only he could pull it off)
How the story unfolds (**)
The characters (**)
The acting (**)

Overall rating ** out of 4 stars

The Children's Hour

Movie Review: The Children's Hour (**1/2 out of 4 stars)

Year of Release: 1961
Country of Origin: USA
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner

Plot outline: A private school for young girls is scandalized when one spiteful student accuses the two young women who run the school of having a lesbian relationship (IMDb).

The story (*** forging its way into the mainstream thanks to its famous stars, it was one of the first movies to present a lesbian as an ordinary person who might experience life and love like anyone else)
How the story unfolds (**1/2 though it looks dated in some ways, with its lapses into melodrama problematic in places, it has strong characters whom modern audiences will have no difficulty relating to, and, sadly, its plot remains highly relevant)
The characters **1/2
The acting **1/2

Overall rating **1/2 out of 4 stars

The Unforgiven

Movie Review: The Unforgiven (**1/2 out of 4 stars)

Year of Release: 1960
Country of Origin: USA
Director: John Huston
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Lillian Gish, Joseph Wiseman

Plot outline: A frontier family is suspected that their adopted daughter was actually an Indian, stolen from the local Kiawa tribe (IMDb).

The story (***)
How the story unfolds (**1/2 well-intentioned message movie, but its strong sentiments against racism seem countermanded by portraying the Indians in a stereotypical role)
The characters (**1/2)
The acting (**1/2)

Overall rating **1/2 out of 4 stars

Bloodline

Movie Review: Bloodline (*1/2 out of 4 stars)

Year of Release: 1979
Country of Origin: USA, West Germany
Director: Terence Young
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, James Mason, Omar Sharif

Plot outline: After her father is killed while mountain climbing, a reluctant heiress inherits her family-owned multi-national pharmaceutical company. Soon after an investigation determines that the cause of his death was not an accident but murder, she realizes that she is now a target (IMDb).

The story (*1/2)
How the story unfolds (*1/2 poorly interwoven subplots, inability to build up any suspense)
The characters (*1/2 shameful waste of talented actors)
The acting (*1/2 despite lack of chance to deliver a solid performance--many of Hepburn’s serious fans cringe at the thought of her being in a movie like this, she does actually give a good performance; managing to create a warm, sympathetic character that nevertheless has enough guts to stand up to all her cousins and not let them boss her around)

Overall rating *1/2 out of 4 stars

Love in the Afternoon

Movie Review: Love in the Afternoon (**1/2 out of 4 stars)

Year of Release: 1957
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Billy Wilder
Cast: Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Maurice Chevalier

Plot outline: A comedy about a middle-aged playboy who's fascinated by the daughter of a private detective who has been hired to entrap him with the wife of a client (IMDb).

The story (**1/2)
How the story unfolds (** flat, loose in the middle, implausible ending)
The characters (**)
The acting (**1/2)

Overall rating **1/2 out of 4 stars

Wait Until Dark

Movie Review: Wait Until Dark (*** out of 4 stars)

Year of Release: 1967
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Terence Young
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Plot outline: A recently blinded woman is victimized by a psychopathic killer and two desperate convicts while they search for a heroin stuffed doll they believe is in her apartment (IMDb).

The story (**1/2)
How the story unfolds (***)
The characters (**1/2)
The dialogue (***)
The acting (*** Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna)

Overall rating *** out of 4 stars

Always

Movie Review: Always

Year of Release: 1989
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, Brad Johnson, John Goodman, Audrey Hepburn

Plot outline: A downed pilot plays celestial wingman to his successor in love and flying (IMDb).

The storyline to Always does share a couple of tenuous similarities to Ghost but is by no means of the word in the same league because it just basically isn't very exciting. That is its biggest problem it lacks the impetuous needed to keep you watching rather than drifting off to sleep. The storyline about Pete returning as a ghost to miraculously guide those left on earth is not new and instead of adding anything to spice it up seems happy to drift along delivering scenes which feel lacking and slightly cliche. I am not saying that the storyline is terrible; in fact it is sentimentally sweet and well structured with a natural flow. It's just distinctly unmemorable and although a couple of humorous moments and a cameo from the delightful Audrey Hepburn may stick in your mind I doubt that the storyline will. As for the performances from the star names well like the movie they feel slightly low level but adequate. Richard Dreyfuss who is a slightly strange choice as a heroic fire-fighting pilot, although the role was offered to Tom Cruise, manages to put in an adequate performance as Pete Sandich, with some moments which feature Dreyfuss's ability with wise cracking humour. Alongside Dreyfuss is John Goodman who gets to goofs it up as his best friend Al, with moments of comedy which could have come straight out of a Tom & Jerry cartoon. Probably the best performance comes from Holly Hunter as Pete's love interest, Dorinda, a mixture of tomboy but with a girlie inside. Also making nice appearances are Brad Johnson and the divine Audrey Hepburn in what was to be her last movie, although the latter is massively under used. To be honest, there are no real problems with any of the performances in Always, the problems arise from the characters themselves, they are just too boring. This makes the movie feel a little flat, as all the characters merge with no real differentiation between them. It's not a terrible movie but with stars such as Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman and Steven Spielberg directing you couldn't be blamed for expecting something more. (AW)

My judgement: **1/2 out of 4 stars

Roman Holiday

Movie Review: Roman Holiday

Year of Release: 1953
Country of Origin: USA
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert

Plot outline: A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman (IMDb).

Roman Holiday was the movie that made Audrey Hepburn a star. Hepburn radiates youth, innocence and vitality. She wins the sympathy of the audience from the earliest scenes. The biggest surprise was provided by Eddie Albert - later known as a competent but unengaging straight man - here his character is excitable and bohemian, and even sports a beard suitable for a temperamental artist. Albert plays this character perfectly, and it is a shame that middle age led to his casting in less challenging roles. During the 1950s and 1960s, Hepburn was frequently cast with much older leading men, such as Fred Astaire, Humphrey Bogart, Rex Harrison, Gary Cooper and Cary Grant. But Gregory Peck was closer to her in age, making him less of a father figure and more convincing as a love interest. Still, Peck has an air of moral rectitude - that he will do "the right thing" with her is never really in doubt. His character matches well with Hepburn's, as his advantages in experience and cynicism are offset by Hepburn's appealing innocence and vulnerability. But, there are a few scenes that don't fully work. We are to believe that Bradley can convince his elderly Italian landlord to play soldier. At the press conference, Bradley and Irving have managed to be front and center of a large contingent of an extremely well-behaved press. It is difficult to believe that Bradley (much less Irving) wouldn't publish a financially rewarding, career-making story. Ann, after acting like a child throughout, suddenly gains maturity at the end. Nevertheless, Roman Holiday is well directed, well written, and very well cast. 1953 was the year of From Here to Eternity, a blockbuster that would dominate the Academy Awards. Despite its ten nominations, Roman Holiday won only three Oscars: Best Actress (Hepburn), Best Story, and Best Costume Design (Edith Head). (BK)

My judgement: ***1/2 out of 4 stars

Charade

Movie Review: Charade

Year of Release: 1963
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Stanley Donen
Cast: Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy

Plot outline: Romance and suspense in Paris, as a woman is pursued by several men who want a fortune her murdered husband had stolen (IMDb).

The enduring popularity of Charade makes any criticism of the movie nearly irrelevant. Most people who see the movie will be so charmed that they won't care that it is a sleek star vehicle, that the plot is formulaic, or that the villains are cartoonish. If you are among the great majority that has enjoyed Charade, don't let me spoil your fun. I spent most of the movie frustrated by the movie's familiarity. It especially resembles To Catch a Thief, the Hitchcock romantic comedy/mystery/thriller starring Cary Grant that was also set in France. Add parts of Hitchock's North by Northwest, The 39 Steps, etc., and mix with Audrey Hepburn's familiar 'glamorous girl lost' persona from Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany's, etc. Cary Grant is one of my favorite actors. It's fun watching him take a shower in his suit. The scene with a stern cleaning lady beating the dust from a rug in front of Grant is a classic. Hepburn is lovely and has a marvelous speaking voice. But Grant is pushing sixty, and while he looks good for his age, he seems to be an unlikely target for Hepburn's very forward machinations. The direction seems to be confused as to whether Charade is a comedy or a thriller. It must be the former, because the story is difficult to take seriously. Wrapped up with a blissfully happy ending, Charade is a crowd pleaser whose audience won't care if its all been done before, and better. By no means is it a bad movie, but its charms cannot fully overcome its dubious conventions. (BK)

My judgement: ** out of 4 stars

My Fair Lady

Movie Review: My Fair Lady

Year of Release: 1964
Country of Origin: USA
Director: George Cukor
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Gladys Cooper

Plot outline: A misogynistic and snobbish phonetics professor agrees to a wager that he can take a flower girl and make her presentable in high society (IMDb).

Adapted from Lerner and Loewe's stage musical of the same name, based in turn on the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, My Fair Lady is the most intelligent musical ever made. It's not only extravagant in sets, but also deep in meaning. It's a musical with a brain as well as a heart. It's a treat for the mind as well as the senses. Even sceptics of musicals will enjoy it. Rex Harrison's Henry Higgins is a very interesting character. He holds himself in high regard, and to everyone else he's insulting and insensitive. And what makes him fascinating is he knows that he is like that. He treats Audrey Hepburn's Eliza Doolittle poorly, but no more poorly than he treats anyone else, including Eliza's father, his own friend Col. Pickering and even his own mother, therefore, giving Eliza equality with everyone else despite her lower class origins. Rex Harrison brilliantly pulls it all off and makes Higgins likable without betraying the character. Audrey Hepburn magically brings her sweetness, naive charm and juvenile pettishness which all prove what a talented actress she really is, e.g. watch her expression at the Ascot scene when she realises her opportunity to demonstrate her new-found mastery of the English tongue ... it's utterly sweet and hilarious. Her transformation from a flower-selling guttersnipe to a lady of high society is believable. Stanley Holloway is lovable as playfully mischievous Alfred Doolittle. Wilfrid Hyde-White is convincing as proper and understanding Col. Pickering. Gladys Cooper is impeccable as no non-sense mother of big bully Higgins. The script and dialogue are wonderful. The songs are unforgettable. Because of its theatrical origins there is an unavoidable stage-bound look to some scenes, e.g. the morning after the play scene where actors enter the scene in layers and freeze until the action is turned on and the Ascot scene - its black and white palate and stylized look add variety to the movie. Overall, My Fair Lady is romantic, but not sentimental - the word "love" is never mentioned at all and the two leads never even kiss. Two most stunning scenes are: 1) the Ascot scene which is beautifully surreal and 2) the Embassy Ball scene which is the climax where Eliza, now an enchanting lady of high society, charms everyone with her style and beauty. I must confess, she is breathtaking in every move and every syllable she utters. The ball gown designed by Cecil Beaton is without peer in modern cinema. The scene is lavishly elegant. With the dazzling splendour that director George Cukor offers: the designer's eye for detail, the painter's flair for colour, the artist's imagination and the delicacy of handling, My Fair Lady garnered twelve Oscar nominations and took eight statuettes for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Harrison), Best Music, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, Best Art Decoration and Best Sound. It's one of my personal favourites.

My judgement: **** out of 4 stars

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Movie Review: Breakfast at Tiffany's

Year of Release: 1961
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Blake Edwards
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Buddy Ebsen, Mickey Rooney

Plot outline: Struggling writer Paul Varjak moves into a New York apartment building and becomes intrigued by his pretty, quirky neighbour Holly Golightly who in public flits through parties with a sexy, sophisticated air, but when alone changes into a sweetly vulnerable bundle of neuroses (IMDb).

Loosely based on the short novel of the same name by Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's is Audrey Hepburn's signature movie. Her portrayal of confused and lost Holly Golightly - with the black dress, black broad-brimmed hat, black sunglasses and long cigarette holder - is considered to be her most memorable and identifiable role. People who have read the novella might think that the casting of Ms. Hepburn was somewhat miscast (the writer himself wanted Marilyn Monroe to play the role of Holly Golightly). Nevertheless, she successfully made it her own and in the process created an image that is considered one of the iconic images of 20th century American cinema. Her character is actually dark and disturbing, but she somehow manages to bring a gleam of innocence and sweetness to it - I guess, this is what Audrey Hepburn is all about: grace and magic! The opening scene when Holly gets out of a taxi in front of Tiffany's, drinking coffee and eating pastry, while staring through the window at the famous jewelry store as Henry Mancini's melancholy strings of "Moon River" wash over everything is a classic (!) It instantly and perfectly sets the tone of the entire movie that follows. I heard many complaints about Mickey Rooney's stereotypical portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi. Yes, I agree ... it's politically incorrect (!), nevertheless I still think that his character is hilarious. Watch the movie carefully as the story contains many allegories: e.g. Holly keeps losing the key to her apartment, and so does Paul; Holly is a phony but a real phony, while Paul is a writer but hasn't been writing for a very long time; the cat who doesn't have a name, while Holly Golightly turns out to be a false name. Other than the opening scene, there are many memorable moments in the movie: e.g. the wacky party at Holly's place, Holly and Paul doing things they've never done before - the scene when Holly and Paul pinch cat masks (another allegory) and the scene when they are at Tiffany's, and of course the ending scene. Instead of gritty and vulgar, in the hands of director Blake Edwards and together with the magical persona of Audrey Hepburn, the movie becomes a candy box of style and sweet redemption. It received three Oscar nominations: Best Actress, Best Art and Set Decoration, Best Adapted Screenplay, and won two Oscars: Best Musical Score and Best Original Song. It's one of my personal favourites.

My judgement: *** out of 4 stars