My Fair Lady
Dir: George Cukor
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Jeremy Brett

The odd thing about this musical, is that none of the leading characters actually sing: Hepburn and Brett were dubbed, while Harrison - and to a lesser extent, Holloway - doesn't even bother to try. Yet, it doesn't matter; though the tunes are great, this would still be wonderful even if no-one piped a note, and ironically, that's what makes it one of the all-time classic musicals. The relationship between Hepburn's flower-girl and Harrison's dialogue coach, who vows to turn her into a princess, is electrifying. The way their venomous sparring develops into genuine affection is character development matched by few movies, let alone those that have to cram in musical numbers too. There's not a slack word or scene in the first half; that the pace drops later, is largely due to Brett's woeful, pointless suitor, who has nothing better to do than hang around outside the house, singing mournfully, and who desperately needs to Get A Life. Regardless, the chemistry between the two stars is awesome. Harrison's Oscar was one of the most deserved of the 60's; that Hepburn was passed over in favour of Julie Andrews (freakin' Mary Poppins!), is one of the biggest travesties of the decade.

A-

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