Funny Face

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Fred Astaire plays a fashion photographer based on real-life cameraman Richard Avedon, in this entertaining musical directed by Stanley Donen (Singin' in the Rain). The story finds Astaire's character turning Audrey Hepburn into a chic Paris model--not a tough premise to buy, especially within this film's air of enchantment and surrounded by a great Gershwin score. Based on an unproduced play, this is one of the best films from the latter part of Astaire's career. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

"You do things to my point of view!".......2007-08-15

There just isn't a Paramount musical from the 1950s that gives as much joy as FUNNY FACE. Audrey Hepburn, the studio's biggest new star at the time, had studied as a ballet dancer, so doing a musical with her was a natural (unlike in her later film MY FAIR LADY, she gets to sing here in her own, natural, charming--if scratchy--voice). The studio had the inspired idea to make this musical about Hepburn traveling to Paris in order to make it as a fashion model; Fred Astaire, as a Richard Avedon-like fashion photographer, may have been too old to play her romantic interest, but he still dances so exquisitely and sings with all his usual nonchalant charm that you don't care, and Hepburn beams at him with such utter delight that they actually generate chemistry despite the age difference. As the editor of the fashion magazine sponsoring Hepburn's trip, the great entertainer Kay Thompson only adds to the overall fun. She wrote three terrific campy songs to go with the rest of the score (a mélange of Gershwin tunes), and all three are tops: "Think Pink," "On How to Be Lovely," and "Bonjour Paris." When Hepburn, Astaire, and Thompson joyfully perform the latter song together on the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower, it's hard to imagine a more elegant or supple trio.

The film is greatly enjoyable as camp (Hepburn gets to do a wacky "beatnik dance" in a Montmartre coffee house), but it's also genuinely sweet and even a little moving. Richard Avedon himself did the gorgeous photography for the "Think Pink" number and for the famous sequence where Astaire photographs Hepburn against the landmarks of Paris. It looked like everyone involved was having incredible fun when they made this film, and it shows from beginning to end.

Kay Thompson Keeps This 'Funny Face' from Sagging.......2007-06-12

Better state up front that I'm not a huge musicals fan. There've been a few I love (The Sound of Music comes to mind) but mostly I find them frivolous and tedious. Why, you might wonder, did I watch this, then? Don't know, 'zactly. Read a little squib about it somewhere, the library had it on hand and, voila, there it was in my video player one night.

That said, I can't say I enjoyed it all that much, though it contained one great surprise: Kay Thompson--who, I just learned, was the author of the wonderful "Eloise" books, and who portrays fashion magazine powerhouse Maggie Prescott (a high-energy prototype of Meryl Streep's "Devil Wears Prada" Miranda Priestly character)--was the shining star in this film as far as I was concerned.(Phew! Thought I'd never get to the end of that sentence!). Thompson could sing, dance, AND act--a triumverate her two co-stars each fell apart on one way or another. Astaire could dance up a storm, but his singing is mediochre and his acting, well, let's just say he's (for the most part) likeable anyway. Hepburn is a marvelous actress, an (surprise, surprise!) excellent dancer, but her singing....eh.

Well. Put these three together into a powdered sugar of a show with excellent set design, fun dance numbers, but forgettable tunes and you get a three star out of five result (raised up from two, to my mind, just because of the star power of Hepburn/Astaire, and the fun, high-powered performance by Thompson.)

I have to agree with others here who were given the willies by the age difference between Astaire and Hepburn (the same feeling one got with the earlier Daddy Long Legs, where they paired AARP-member Astaire with the pre-pubescent Leslie Caron...What were they thinking?) But the lovers' lack of chemistry doesn't stop there. I never believed for an instant that they were in love in the movie and, when they sail away on the raft surrounded by swans and doves with (no doubt) clipped wings that prevented them from flying away in fear and disgust, I found myself snorting haughtily at the whole premise.

Watch it, not for a show that's going to wow you, but for the entertaining dance numbers, the colorful sets, and for Kay Thompson.

A Classic.......2007-03-09

It's Audry Hepburn at her best. It's a must have for the classic collector. Audry and Fred make an awsome dancing couple.

The music and dancing saves this movie.......2007-02-10

I had to write a review because I want to respond the people who don't like the Astaire/Hepburn relationship. It's just a vehicle to get these two actors together in a song and dance movie to showcase Fred Astaire. She dances well which was a surprise to me. So he was somewhat older? He was a monstrous star and he still danced really well.

Having said that the story was a bit too predictable. The overall feel of the film was just OK. Can't fault the Gershwin music though and the dancing was good.

Watchable.......2007-02-01

It's always a pleasure to see Fred's legwork, but his relationship with Hepburn is completely implausible due to huge age difference and weak plot.

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Romantic
Sabrina
Paris when it rains...
Sabrina
TIMELESS

Sabrina
Starring: Marjorie Bennett , Humphrey Bogart , Francis X. Bushman , Ellen Corby , and Marcel Dalio
Director: Billy Wilder
Manufacturer: Paramount
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ASIN: B00003CXCG
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Product Description

Sabrina is charming, humorous and aglow with some of Hollywood's greatest stars. Humphrey Bogart, William Holden and Audrey Hepburn star in a Cinderella stroy directed by renowned filmmaker Billy Wilder (Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot). Bogie and Holden are the mega-rich Larrabee brothers of Long Island. Bogie's all work, Holden's all playboy. But when Sabrina, daughter of the family's chauffer, returns from Paris all grown up and glamourous, the stage is set for some family fireworks as the brothers fall under the spell of Hepburn's delightful charms.

Amazon.com essential video

Audrey Hepburn is the delightful young Sabrina, the daughter of a chauffeur who is hopelessly in love with David Larrabee (William Holden), the playboy younger son in the rich Long Island household her father works for. In order to help her forget her woes, Sabrina is shipped off to cooking school in Paris. While there, she befriends a baron who provides a bit of culture--and the encouragement to snip off her childlike ponytail. Upon her return to New York, Sabrina is transformed into a sophisticated woman, and David is entranced by her. However, his older brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart) has arranged David's marriage to Elizabeth Tyson in order to seal a business merger and thus must steer David away from Sabrina. To do this, Linus takes on the task of wooing her for himself. Full of great dialogue ("A woman happy in love, she burns the soufflé; a woman unhappy in love, she forgets to turn on the oven") and wonderful performances, this film is a romantic masterpiece. Also enjoyable is the 1995 remake, starring Julia Ormond and Harrison Ford. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews:

Romantic.......2007-08-12

I love this movie, it is cute, romantic, and wonderful. If you want to watch a great old fashion movie, this is the one to see. :)

Sabrina.......2007-06-26

Perfectly suited to high-brow romantic comedies, Hepburn blossoms before our eyes as the world's most cultivated chauffeur's daughter in Billy Wilder's delightful "Sabrina." The young star smoothly makes the transition from a skinny awkward girl who fantasizes about life among the privileged classes to the stunning and sophisticated object of desire for both handsome Holden and the more mature Bogart, who, like most any other man, just can't help himself. "Sabrina" is infectious, effervescent comedy, done the Wilder way.

Paris when it rains..........2007-06-21

I want to go to Paris with Linus. No seriouly this was a really sweet movie that I have seen at least fifteen times or more and never get bored. Love William Holden and Audrey Hepburn together. Read somewhere that Billy Wilder was wanting Cary Grant for the role of Linus, would of been interesting. Love Bogie too...I thought this was way better than the remake with Harrison Ford but I guess that is if you like old movies compared to the newer one I much rather see a classic..If you haven't seen this you really need to check this one out you won't be disappointed.

Sabrina.......2007-06-09

The clarity of image and sharpness of the black and white production take this beautiful classic to the excellent level it so deserves.

TIMELESS.......2007-06-02

I have enjoyed this film since I first saw it on network tv over 40 years ago. Over the ensuing years I've read and heard about the on-set tension between Bogie and Audrey but I've never seen anything suggesting it in the film. All of the cast are excellent, the set design and script and direction as well. As for Bogie being mis-cast as a Wall Street tycoon, a type he supposedly despised, being the pro that he was you'd never know it. I think the casting was inspired. If Cary Grant had played the part, the ending would have been far less inspired - more predictable. His looks and charm were that irresistable to women of all ages - ending up with Grace Kelly and Sophia Loren in contemporary films. Bogie's tough, hardened exterior serves the character well - you can easily believe he hasn't been involved with anyone in years. There's a funny uncertainty about the standing on the ledge story he tells her. Is it merely pretense to gain her sympathy for him as an older lonely guy, or is it in large part the truth? I don't think we'd believe any of it from Grant. Grant usually ran away from women in his films or at least discouraged them as best he could as in Charade. I'll never forget the ending where Holden forces him to confront his love for Audrey while her ship is sailing outside the board-room window and his commandeering a tug to make their rendezvous afterall. It shows that having great wealth and power can insure that love makes the world go around.

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The Nun's Story
Transcendent!
The Nun's Story
A Classic
Stumbling Perfectionist in a Fractured World

The Nun's Story
Starring: Audrey Hepburn , Peter Finch , Edith Evans , Peggy Ashcroft , and Dean Jagger
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B000E1MXSW
Release Date: 2006-04-04

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Fred Zinnemann's epic drama is a splendid showcase for Audrey Hepburn, who stars as the young nun Sister Luke, who is deeply spiritual yet conflicted about whether or not she can conform to convent life. Though the film is a mesmerizing--and quite leisurely--two and a half hours, its plot is fairly simple--young Gabrielle (Hepburn) enters the convent pledging her life to God, learns the disciplines associated with the life, receives her dream assignment of going to the Congo as a missionary nurse, and once there, is forced to face whether she is meant for the rigorous life of poverty, chastity, and most difficult of all, obedience. The film does a marvelous job of portraying the challenges of cloistered life without being either off-putting or overly romantic. And Hepburn, sometimes with only her eyes, communicates all the drive, faith, and conflict of a young woman so torn. --Anne Hurley

Description

Story of Gabrielle Van Der Mal, who gives up everything to become a nun, facing incredible odds in the Congo and then at the mother house in France at the outbreak of World War II.

Customer Reviews:

The Nun's Story.......2007-08-06

I have been wanting to buy the Nun's Story because I have had it on video for a long time, so when I got the DVD, I was very happy with it. I was also impressed at the promptness of delivery and would absolutely recommend everyone get the DVD. Great transmission, great quality, affordable price! Thank you so much, Amazon, for selling a great product!

Transcendent!.......2007-07-01

This magnificent film of 1957 still shines in all its luminosity after 50 years. It reminds us of the heights to which Hollywood could rise in the old studio system, which invested its resources on quality: the actors, the director, the music, the costumes, and the splendid genuine locations, from the canals and bridges of Bruges and Antwerp to the sweeping expanse of the Congo river (The scenes at the leper colony, among many others, are fascinating.). "The Nun's Story" allows us to glimpse a slice of history of the 1930s, as it unfolds on two continents. It gives us a look back into a society, both sacred and secular, that World War II was to change irrevocably.

The superb performances of Audrey Hepburn, Peggy Ashcroft, Edith Evans, Mildred Natwick, and Peter Finch speak for themselves, and it would be superfluous of me to comment on them further.

I merely wonder how many of the hundreds of films now churned out in Hollywood every year (the millions of dollars spent making them; their celebrity actors; their special effects) will still shine as brightly as "The Nun's Story" 50 years from now?

Relatively few, I think!

The Nun's Story.......2007-06-26

Zinnemann's "The Nun's Story," showcasing the luminous Audrey Hepburn in her prime, contemplates hardship, devotion, and a very special kind of self-realization. A literate, nuanced drama with size, scope and color, the film boasts superb location photography and uniformly fine performances, both from the young leads and two English Dames in support: namely, Edith Evans and Peggy Ashcroft, playing senior nuns who guide Sister Luke along her often thorny path. Based on Kathryn Hulme's autobiographical novel, "Story" is an affecting, heartfelt epic of inner struggle.

A Classic.......2007-04-25

Not only is the story itself a true statement on women brought up in a certain manner, I find it the story of one woman's awakening. And Audrey was perfect for this tale. I love this movie

Stumbling Perfectionist in a Fractured World.......2007-04-06

`The Nun's Story' is an engaging tale about an aspiring nun who wishes to serve in the missions of the Belgian Congo. Multi-faceted Audrey Hepburn makes the story absorbing enough with her excellent performance as Sister Burt. There's the drama of the Congo, World War II is breaking out in Europe, and her vocation is on the line, but mainly we care about her own development.

The inner conflict is written all over Hepburn's face as she grapples with self-will. Obedience being the hardest vow, she, nevertheless, finds perfectionism, a manifestation of pride, her biggest stumbling block. Having a low tolerance for her own failures, she meets into agnostic-skeptic Dr. Fortunati played with colorful zest by Peter Finch. He challenges her motivation and makes her contemplate "a change of habit" to sport another movie's title. Then, with war beginning in Europe, she struggles with the community's edict to remain nuetral.

Constrasting Hepburn's role in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' she really demonstrates a conflicted, resolute, yet fragile nun with great skill. Hepburn is the centerpiece because even with a good story, she makes us care deeply about her character. The movie makers painstakingly put together a movie that really understood the religious aspects and got it right. Absorbing and genuine, `The Nun's Story' makes the movie a must-see mission.

Films of Faith Collection (The Nun's Story / The Shoes of the Fisherman / The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima)

Average customer rating:

FILMS OF THE FAITH COLLECTION
Great set of DVD's
excellent stories about caring for others
Films of Faith Collection
well done

Films of Faith Collection (The Nun's Story / The Shoes of the Fisherman / The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima)
Starring: Audrey Hepburn , Peter Finch , Edith Evans , Peggy Ashcroft , and Dean Jagger
Director: Fred Zinnemann , Michael Anderson , and John Brahm
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B000E1MXSM
Release Date: 2006-04-04

Amazon.com

Fred Zinnemann's epic 1959 drama The Nun's Story is a splendid showcase for Audrey Hepburn, who stars as the young nun Sister Luke, who is deeply spiritual yet conflicted about whether or not she can conform to convent life. Though the film is a mesmerizing--and quite leisurely--two and a half hours, its plot is fairly simple--young Gabrielle (Hepburn) enters the convent pledging her life to God, learns the disciplines associated with the life, receives her dream assignment of going to the Congo as a missionary nurse, and once there, is forced to face whether she is meant for the rigorous life of poverty, chastity, and most difficult of all, obedience. The film does a marvelous job of portraying the challenges of cloistered life without being either off-putting or overly romantic. And Hepburn, sometimes with only her eyes, communicates all the drive, faith, and conflict of a young woman so torn.

If you find during the 160-minute running time of The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968) that you don't like the plot, wait 10 minutes. It will surely change and there will be another story thread to entice you. The screenplay is literally all over the map: Siberia, where Archbishop Kiril Lakota, played splendidly by Anthony Quinn, has been exiled to a work camp in the oppressive Soviet regime; Moscow, where a genially scene-chewing Laurence Olivier plays a Soviet ruler with history with Lakota; China, where famine threatens to bring the world of the late '60s to the brink of World War III; and Rome, where Lakota travels after being freed (and where dissolute reporter David Janssen does his best to groove on the Swinging Sixties). Yet despite its flaws, the movie's central drama is riveting: the current Pope dies suddenly, and for a good bit of the film, viewers are treated to the Vatican's inner workings on the election of a new Pope. The events unfold at a leisurely pace, which allows you to drink in the spectacle and wonder of the ancient traditions. The Alex North Oscar-nominated score is lovely, and Quinn's performance is the somber-with-a-humble-twinkle glue that holds the film together. Anyone interested in the traditions and rituals of the Vatican will find plenty to savor.

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima tells the story--through an admittedly Hollywood prism--of one of the most beloved Catholic legends of the 20th century. Three young shepherd children in the remote Portuguese mountain town Fatima reported seeing a vision in 1917 of "a beautiful lady" who spoke to them of strife, war and peace and the love of Jesus. Soon the word spread, and throngs, teetering on mobs, gathered near the site for a glimpse of what they believed to be Mary, mother of Jesus. The children remained steadfast in their account, despite threats from the church and the government, and the final appearance of the lady, on Oct. 13, 1917, was accompanied by strange apparitions in the sky that have yet to be explained by science. The movie is well-made and -acted, especially by a radiant Susan Whitney, who plays the oldest child, Lúcia Abóbora dos Santos. The screenplay takes some liberties with the facts: the lovable jokester-sidekick character of Hugo is fictitious, and one wonders if perhaps a few of Our Lady's cautions about the multitude of evil things happening in 1917 Russia might have been heard through a Cold War filter. But the 1952 film is moving and is a reminder that big studios once routinely, and profitably, released religious-themed movies, to audiences who surely would appreciate some of the same today. --A.T. Hurley

Description

The Films of Faith Collection features three tales of spiritual discovery which celebrate lives of purpose and inspiration, The Nun's Story, The Shoes of the Fisherman and The Miracle of Our Lady Fatima. Audrey Hepburn, Peter Finch, Anthony Quinn, Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud are among the top stars of the films; bonus features include the vintage featurette The Shoes of the Fisherman and theatrical trailers. The Nun's Story (1959) is an unforgettable revelation of the seldom-seen world behind convent walls. Audrey Hepburn portrays Sister Luke, a nun whose life journey leads her to a much desired position as a surgical nurse in a Belgian Congo missionary hospital. After she returns to her native Belgium, World War II breaks out and she finds her commitment seriously tested -- torn between the pull of the Resistance and the church's neutrality. Directed by four-time Academy Award winner Fred Zinnemann, The Nun's Story earned eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture.

From Morris L. West's bestseller, The Shoes of the Fisherman is both an urgent tale of geopolitical intrigue and a fascinating look at Vatican procedure. Anthony Quinn plays a newly-freed Russian political prisoner thrust into the spotlight as Pope Kiril Lakota. Laurence Olivier, Oskar Werner, John Gielgud, David Janssen and Leo McKern enrich a production which was nominated for two Academy Awards and won a Golden Globe for Alex North's score.

The Miracle of Our Lady Fatima (1952) thoughtfully recreates the 1917 actual events that brought hope and new religious fervor to a war-ravaged world. Three peasant youths in Fatima, Portugal see a vision: a woman in a cloud of light offering words of devotion and prophecy. The children face torture by the anticlerical government but are soon embraced by the faithful masses drawn by the promise of a miracle. Director John Brahm skillfully balances simplicity and spectacle, all powerfully supported by Max Steiner's Oscar-nominated score.

Customer Reviews:

FILMS OF THE FAITH COLLECTION.......2007-05-15

IT WAS GREAST TO HAVE THE THREE MOVIES AT THE SAME TIME BECOUSE WE WATCHED ALL THE FAMILY FOR A LONG WEEK-END IT WAS GREAT BECOUSE WE CAN UNDESTAND MUCH BETTER THE RELIGION WE HAVE.

Great set of DVD's.......2007-05-07

I enjoyed all 3 dvd's. I would get it for a gift for other people who like this kinda of movie. My grandson enjoyed watching it with me. The price was awesome too.

excellent stories about caring for others .......2007-03-16

Wonderful movies about those people whose lives were dedicated to caring for others. That is our purpose on the this earth. These movies give wonderful testomony to how much happier and satisifed your life will be be caring for others. Your blessings and true happiness only comes by serving. Give and you will be rewarded

Films of Faith Collection.......2007-01-10

This is a warm remembrance of Christian witness that will speak to a universal audience. The Nun's Story is a fairly accurate and touching tale of one woman's quest to follow her heart just as the world falls into war. This is a great example of the Catholic Church in the early 20th century. With Shoes of the Fisherman, you have a great story of a Pope from the Slavic World, more than a decade before Pope John Paul II. The turmoil of an ancient church trying to deal with a modern world is very well told and is still quite relevant.

well done.......2007-01-05

Films of faith this is a terrific set and I have really made a great investment here.Each of the movies are very clear and sharp.The shoes of the fisherman is extremely good in the widescreen format and the sound is terrific in 5.1 Dolby surround.It was the first time that I had seen the shoes of the fisherman as it was intended in widescreen,and apreciated it so much, having seen it before on video in the pan and scan format.WB.has done it again,well done.Well done amazon for having stocked such great classic as this set is

Average customer rating:

Not Audrey quality acting!!!!!!!!!
Audrey Would Have Loved It!
Ms. Hewitt misses the essence of Hepburn
Very pleasant surprise
Hey, it's entertainment!

The Audrey Hepburn Story
Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt , Frances Fisher , Keir Dullea , Gabriel Macht , and Peter Giles
Director: Steven Robman
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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ASIN: B00004STRE
Release Date: 2000-07-11

Amazon.com

Jennifer Love Hewitt is a beautiful and talented actress with style and charm. She is not, however, Audrey Hepburn, and try as she might, she is unable to embody the gamine actress in the made-for-television biopic The Audrey Hepburn Story.

Making the Hepburn bio was a gusty move for Hewitt, and one has to admire her chutzpah. But the role, if it was to be dared, would have been better off in the hands of an unknown. As it is, it's difficult to shake the image of Hewitt in her television and teen roles, and while she mastered the wide-eyed look, her eyes are not doelike enough and her accent borders on ludicrous. If you can move past this, though, the story of Hepburn's life--even given her do-gooder qualities--is interesting fodder for exploration, although at times the script feels as if it's trying to create tension where there is little. Desertion by her father, a brief stint in the resistance in wartime Netherlands, and affairs with fellow actors create drama, but not enough to enliven the film. Part of the problem is the entire film is told from flashback from the set of Breakfast at Tiffany's, so much of Hepburn's great work is left untouched.

Yet, despite the flaws, fans will appreciate the paean to Hepburn, as we glimpse into the difficulties of her early career and her budding stardom. The two girls who play the childhood Hepburn excel in their roles, and the strong supporting cast--including Frances Fisher as her mother and Eric McCormack as Mel Ferrer--brighten the film, which ultimately brings a touch of Hepburn's elegance to our own humdrum lives. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews:

Not Audrey quality acting!!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-28

Sadly, this movie is suppose to be the story of one of the greatest acting and fashion legends of "all time". This movie is so poorly done, it is in no way an honor or tribute to Audrey Hepburn.
Being the acting and content of this story is so poor, the smart thing to do is proceed to Amazon books and order, "Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn".

Audrey Would Have Loved It!.......2007-05-24

Before I saw this movie, I did not know who Jennifer Love Hewitt was. I knew Miss Hepburn, but not very well. After seeing this movie, I fell in love with Miss Hewitt, Miss Hepburn, AND this movie! It is one of those movies that I love to revisit over and over. I love seeing Miss Hewitt and Miss Hepburn in other venues. I can not think of one lady without thinking of the other. For me, Miss Hewitt BECAME Miss Hepburn! I think I have fallen in love with both. That to me speaks of a very powerful movie. One that I WILL watch again and again!

Ms. Hewitt misses the essence of Hepburn.......2007-03-28

I wondered when I watched this movie why anyone who had the reckless incomprehensible desire to produce a biopic on Audrey Hepburn would have cast Jennifer Love Hewitt in the role. Then I saw that she was the producer.

If I were trying to be ugly, I'd say that Ms. Hewitt's portrayal amounts to a cheap knockoff of the completely unique Audrey, but that's not really true. It was more like one of those expensive Hollywood star dolls put out by The Franklin Mint. The clothes and pose are close but the indefinable essence is missing particularly from the face, which is vacant and doll-like bearing little resemblance to the real thing.

This movie had one of Audrey Hepburn's swains say something like, "Just let us look at you." And it was true that Audrey Hepburn was something to look at, but the most vital part of her considerable charm was the fact that she was looking back, engaged, interested, fearless, which is why she did well as characters with questing spirits like Holly Golightly, and like Sister Luke and even Princess Ann. She made you feel the absolute need she had to connect with the world and other people.

Ms. Hewitt would have done well to try and capture that essence rather than busy herself with copying the Hepburn mannerisms and accent rather poorly. The one time she comes close to the spirit that was Audrey Hepburn is in the scene where an older actress is trying to help her line readings for the part of Gigi on Broadway. For one brief, all too brief moment you felt the character's eagerness to learn, her satisfaction and joy at having mastered something difficult. And I thought, "Yes, it could have happened like that."

I don't know who directed Ms. Hewitt, but she was not well served. Too bad.

Very pleasant surprise.......2006-12-01

I must whole-heartedly disagree with the editorial review in my assessment of this film. I have never been a fan of Jennifer Love Hewitt--in fact, her performances usually annoy me. Her portrayal of Audrey hepburn, however, blew me out of the water. Her ablity to capture the eligance, delicate strength, and beauty of Hepburn is nothing less than brilliant. And please, Natalie Portman for this role? She killed the newest Star Wars movies. I was completely surpised and delighted by Hewitt's portrayal, and with the film overall.

Hey, it's entertainment!.......2006-07-24

This movie shows an intimate portrayal into Audrey Hepburn's life and may appeal more to those who enjoy fiction rather than those who are highly critical concerning the exact details of Audrey Hepburn's life. I would guess if you enjoy mainstream romance then you'd enjoy this story, because it has a bit of everything... and of course regardless of whether romance was in the movie there would still be a story there.

Those who are really specific about every detail of Audrey Hepburn's life will probably be disappointed. Die-hard Hepburn fans will probably walk away with more to dislike than to like. Although, I personally think Hepburn was a fairly good actress, I would have to personally say that Jennifer Love Hewitt sparkled as Hepburn more than I ever personally felt concerning the real Hepburn herself. I think what Hewitt and Hepburn really share in common is that they are both very adorable women. They both sparkled in their own way.

I don't personally agree with others who say they didn't look anything alike. I don't think they had huge resemblances but I do think they do resemble each other in less obvious ways. After seeing Hewitt in the film, I didn't think her acting was bad at all (as said by other reviewers)--personally after seeing the film, I felt that if she took more adult roles her talent would be much better appreciated.

I think that Hewitt may receive some harsh reviews because a lot of people are simply used to seeing her in less mature movies, but I think if she were to portray more adult roles as in this film, she would eventually earn the respect she deserves. I think many teen movies underplay her talent to be honest.

Other reviewers have said Natalie Portman would've been a better choice. I'm not sure I agree. Natalie Portman is talented and I can see resemblances to Hepburn, but I think Hewitt has a magic and charm that Portman doesn't have quite the same way.

Hewitt comes alive beyond the film and you really believe she's Hepburn. However, die-hard fans may not be convinced that she is, but those who are less critical will probably enjoy the film and enjoy her portrayal.

I think they did make the right choice to cast Jennifer Love Hewitt. Jennifer Love Hewitt is the type of person that you can look at and really tell she's alive and she just has an energy that bounces off the walls. I think they casted her as Audrey because she had the same energy and magic that Audrey has (inner magnetism). I believe they saw that.

I don't think you have to look exactly like Audrey to pretend to be her. Other reviewers have questioned why she was casted because she didn't look like Audrey, but clearly there are countless movies in which actors/actresses didn't look exactly like the real people, but they were casted as the character for other reasons and perhaps they resembled the character at least a little. I think reviewers are having trouble with this simply because Audrey Hepburn was famous.

"Erin Brockovich" is a good example. Julia Roberts didn't look anything like "Erin Brockovich," but she was cast as her. And Diane Lane who plays Frances Mayes in "Under the Tuscan Sun" doesn't look a thing like the real writer (Frances Mayes). Looks don't mean believability. It doesn't mean just because an actor/actress looks like that person they should be casted to play that part. It helps but it's not always enough. It also doesn't mean because the person looks like that real person you'll necessarily believe they are that person, and it doesn't mean because they don't look like that person that you'll believe they aren't that person. That's why it's called acting. A large portion of it is a matter of illusion.

I personally think Jennifer Love Hewitt created a very good illusion as Audrey Hepburn.

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The Audrey Hepburn Story [Region 2]
Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt , Frances Fisher , Keir Dullea , Gabriel Macht , and Peter Giles
Director: Steven Robman
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004TT6Z

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