An American in Paris-1951

Director Vincente Minnelli

Starring Gene Kelly

Top 250 Films #113

Scott’s Review #120

Reviewed July 19, 2014

Grade: B+

A classic film directed by Vincente Minnelli, An American in Paris is a musical from 1951 set in marvelous Paris- though, to be fair, the entire movie, save for the opening scenes of Paris, is shot exclusively on a sound stage.

Gene Kelly stars as Jerry Mulligan, a struggling American artist who lives in a quiet neighborhood with his best friend, Adam Cook.

Jerry optimistically sings and tap-dances his way through life, befriending neighbors and school kids and spending time at the local cafe until he is finally noticed by wealthy art buyer Milo, played by Nina Foch.

This sets off a quadrangle when Jerry falls for youthful Lise (Leslie Caron), already dating a suave French singer, Georges Guetary.

An American in Paris is a cheerful fantasy film. It is bright and colorful and filled with musical numbers and dancing.

Highlights in this department are “‘S Wonderful” and “I Got Rhythm”.

The brilliance lies in the incredible eighteen-minute epic finale, which features Gene Kelly’s ballet on Parisian sets designed by various artists. It is as innovative as anything in film history.

The film’s drawback is the lack of chemistry between Kelly and Caron, which I notice more with each passing viewing.

There is more chemistry between Kelly and Foch, who is meant to be the odd woman out, and I still find myself rooting for them rather than the intended couple.

I love that none of the four characters in the story is a villain, which adds to the film’s merry feel.

The predictable ending is fantastic and romantic.

An American in Paris won the 1951 Best Picture Oscar, upsetting the heavily favored A Streetcar Named Desire.

Oscar Nominations: 6 wins-Best Motion Picture (won), Best Director-Vincente Minnelli, Best Story and Screenplay (won), Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (won), Best Art Direction, Color (won), Best Cinematography, Color (won), Best Costume Design, Color (won), Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-Vincente Minnelli, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy-Gene Kelly