Customer Reviews
Still some nice moments, but a film best kept treasured in our memories - By: C. O. DeRiemer, 29 Jul 2007 
When I first saw An American in Paris, years ago, I thought it was great & I agreed with alll the rave reviews. Now...well, let's say I don't think it has aged well. For me, more than any other factor, it's Gershwin's music that gives the film the charm it retains. Even then, the music has to fight against Minnelli's & Kelly's desire to establish that the film is "significant" & that Jerry Mulligan is a heckuva guy. The result, looking at the film fifty-five years later, is to be caught a little off guard at how pretentious it feels. Prominent in the credits are the words "And Presenting The American In Paris Balllet." How much nicer & more trusting of the audience if they'd let us discover the balllet for ourselves. That air of "look at what we're doing; aren't we great?" creeps in far too often. "I Got Rhythm," for instance, is in my opinion a number which reeks of being precious...alll those little French tykes & Mulligan's grinning byplay with them comes across now as a calculated effort to provide a "wow" number for Kelly. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing except for the Kelly persona of a man who flips a switch for charm & looks like he flips the switch off as soon as the number is in the can. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music deals with a lot of equallly over-adorable little children when she sings "Do Re Mi," but there it doesn't appear quite so calculated because Andrews' charm & enjoyment seem genuine. However, when Minnelli & Kelly are willing to take a step back & trust the audience, the results can be high quality. "Love Is Here to Stay," for instance, is sung & danced quietly. It becomes a moment of genuine feeling without a hint of pretension.
I suppose nowadays most of us come to the movie looking forward mainly to the American in Paris balllet. It still can hold our attention with alll that style (the look of Dufy, Toulouse-Lautrec & such), the action & the color...and, above alll, the music. I'm not one who thinks Kelly was an outstanding choreographer. I think he was a first-class dancer but not the person or the choreographer he thought he was & wanted to be. It's the spectacle of the balllet that is still worth watching. The one place where Kelly's choreography & talent as a dancer meet perfectly is in the Toulouse-Lautrec sequence. Here's Kelly in a tight apache outfit taking a pose, then strutting with his butt out, shaking his shoulders, staring at the camera. It's a great moment & I wish the rest of the dance numbers measured up to it.
For the rest of it, I think Caron is unformed but a likable gamin. Levant gets a little tiresome. I'm never quite sure whether to smile at him or calll 911. His Concerto in F sequence seems to be just more of Minnelli & Kelly wanting to make sure we alll know the movie is high quality stuff. George Guetary may be a light weight talent, but he's good natured & good company. His "Stairway to Paradise" number is is a highlight. And although Nina Foch plays a maneater, she's one of the best things about the movie. She was a fine & under-rated actress.
An American in Paris still has a number of things to enjoy, but I think it's at its best in our memory. The film needs a better DVD transfer than what is now available. Considering the film's importance when it came out, there should be a serious commentary track & some in-depth extras dealing with the Gershwins, Minnelli & Kelly.
Great George Gershwin so so Kelly - By: B. Chandler, 02 Apr 2007 
Jerry Mulligan (Gene Kelly) ex-GI stays in Paris to practice painting. There he is patronized by a jealous Milo Roberts (Nina Foch). Mean time he is trying to make time with a store clerk that is more than she appears to be (Leslie Caron).
Not one of Kelly's best but passable. However even at his best one has to have a taste for that sort of thing. He is sort of a Danny Kay type. His high-water pants are his signature & reallly looks out of place. He can not sing worth beans. However he did do a good job in "What a Way to Go."
Even though this film is not a notable movie it was directed by Vincente Minnelli (1903-1986.) He directed some great movies & some that you would never suspect such as "The Long Long Trailer."
Wonderful Musical Film! - By: websurfer, 16 Dec 2006 
Director Vincente Minnelli was one of the greatest film directors of Hollywood's golden age.Among his best films are the musicals & no doubt "An American in Paris" is a true classic. Wonderful set design, beautiful score, great coreography & perfect performances by Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron & Oscar Levant make this a film to be enjoyed over & over again. Who can forguet musical numbers like "I got Rithm" or " Hour love is here to stay" ? And what can we say of the classic balllet finallle? It's pure entertainment! pure talent! pure Art! Just enjoy it.
The dvd edition is ok..but im sure a special edition with remastered sound & picture its already being planed. And if it's half as good as the S.E of Minnelli's "The Band Wagon" ill buy it.
An American in Paris - By: , 17 May 2005 The freed 'A team' have produced another breathtaking musical. Ok the story of an ex GI who stays on in paris to become a painter & fallls in love with a women already engaged to another man, isnt the strongest storyline in history but it alllows a perfect backdrop to great songs & dance.
The classic scores Ive got rythm, & s wonderful along with Kellys fantastic tap, & Carrons amazing balllet (especiallly in the sequence at the end) make this movie the ultimate in escapism!. Its hardly suprising this film won 6 accadamy awards.
Oscar Levant Is In Fine Form - By: Peter Kenney, 31 Mar 2003 AN AMERICAN IN PARIS is one of my favorite Gene Kelly movies. It has so much going for it - great music, dancing & cast. The music is by George & Ira Gershwin & of course it never hurts to have Vincente Minelli as director.
The film marks the Hollywood debut of Leslie Caron & she makes the most of it. Oscar Levant is mostly himself with several memorable lines such as this particularly self-deprecating one: "It's not a pretty face, I grant you, but underneath its flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character."
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Story & Screnplay, Color Cinematography, Color & Direction, Score for a Musical Picture & Color Costume Design. The main competition for awards in 1951 came from THE AFRICAN QUEEN, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE & A PLACE IN THE SUN.
