NickD

I must admit, not having heard much about this film, I watched it with very low expectations. Yes, the plot is silly and Ethel Merman, although a one-of-a-kind treasure, is tough to watch on film. But what a production! This is the kind of all-stops-out musical that MGM is known for -- proving that Fox's musicals are often underrated. Glorious Technicolor (just check out the amazing art direction in every scene, calculated to make the colors come alive) and some astonishing dance/musical numbers with Donald O'Connor and Vera Ellen. O'Connor is more impressive here than he was in "Singing in the Rain." And the Irving Berlin music, although not his best, doesn't hurt either. Biggest surprise was George Sanders, of all people, who reminded me slightly of Christopher Plummer in "Sound of Music" and (if it is really his voice) can actually sing!

What a pleasure to see another work from one of the world's

greatest directors, Claude Lelouche. "And Now Ladies and

Gentlemen" doesn't disappoint, although it's clearly not in the

league of Lelouche's masterpieces "A Man and a Woman" and --

my favorite film ever -- "And Now My Love" ("Tout un Vie"). There are

all the requisite Lelouche themes here: romance, destiny, faith

and redemption, combined with superb performances by Jeremy

Irons and Patricia Kaas, exotic locales and that wonderful Michel

Legrand music. (Also great to see performers like Claudia

Cardinale and Paul Freeman again!) Nobody else makes films

like Lelouche, and that's both a pity and a reminder of what a

treasure he is.

I viewed this film last night for the third time and was struck again

by how beautifully Brad Anderson tackles a deceptively tricky

genre, the destiny-themed romantic comedy. Particularly, as

another reviewer pointed out, since this film more than echoes

Claude Lelouche's "And Now My Love" (probably my all-time

favorite film), it reaches for something where the bar is already set

fairly high. Even the more gimmicky elements -- the hand-held

camera style, the pervasive Brazilian bossa nova music, the

incredibly horrible dates -- all seem to work. In short -- a wonderful,

charming film that makes you believe in love and romance.