Funny Face [G]

When a high-powered fashion magazine editor and her chief photographer decide to do a spontaneous shoot in a dingy book shop the photographer, Dick Avery, becomes besotted by the funny face of the shop’s saleswoman, Jo Stockton. A vivacious and amateur philosopher, Jo at first rejects Dick’s offer to model for the magazine, but then takes the job so that she can go to Paris and talk with a professor there whom she worships. However, once in the city of love Jo, now transformed into a global supermodel, begins to develop feelings towards Dick during the shoots and soon Dick begins to return those sentiments. 

Another classic and comic little musical from the Golden Age of Cinema: Funny Face features the legendary legs of Fred Astaire and the beautiful and vibrant presence of Audrey Hepburn, making the two romantic leads a most irresistible and “s’wonderful” couple to watch on screen. This movie is absolutely lovely! 

When a high-powered fashion magazine editor and her chief photographer decide to do a spontaneous shoot in a dingy book shop the photographer, Dick Avery, becomes besotted by the funny face of the shop’s saleswoman, Jo Stockton. A vivacious and amateur philosopher, Jo at first rejects Dick’s offer to model for the magazine, but then takes the job so that she can go to Paris and talk with a professor there whom she worships. However, once in the city of love Jo, now transformed into a global supermodel, begins to develop feelings towards Dick during the shoots and soon Dick begins to return those sentiments. 

The first layer of this movie that deserves an accolade is the wonderful soundtrack composed by George and Ira Gershwin. The score features a most memorable collection of classics including that irrepressible song that we heard and fell in love with in An American in Paris. By no means a high-powered musical on par with An American in Paris or Singin’ In the Rain, Funny Face still harbours an invisible power to captivate and keep its audience; although this could be provided by the two romantic leads of Hepburn and Astaire. Fred Astaire who stars as Dick Avery delivers a lively and at the same time sarcastic and cynical performance, providing one memorable half of the film’s irresistible Greek-comedy charm. Providing the other half is the vivacious and outspoken performance of Audrey Hepburn who provides the film with its more intellectual edge. The clashing chemistry of these two romantic leads is absolutely gorgeous and you instantly fall in love with both of them, like Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds) and Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) in their first meeting in Singin’ In the Rain. 
Starring Kay Thompson, Michael Auclair, and Robert Flemying, Funny Face is a lovely little Academy Award-nominated musical that’s filled with romance, empathy, philosophy, intellect, style, beautiful costumes, a wonderful soundtrack, drama, and comedy. Permit me to say that it’s s’wonderful, s’marvellous!