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Rating:  -
Think Pink! S'wonderful! Songs that are among the many wonderful memories from the classic love story and popular 1957 musical "Funny Face" starring Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire and Kay Thompson featuring memorable Gershwin songs, exciting choreography, beautiful fashion and beautiful scenes shot in Paris. "Funny Face" was not just a regular musical of that time, it was a special film that highlights the style of an era and of course, another stunning fashion collaboration between Audrey Hepburn and her designer Hubert de Givenchy. And also bringing together two top tier music talents such as Astaire and Thomas, all three in one film is just fantastic!
The film starts off with publisher and editor of Quality Magazine, Maggie Prescott (Thompson), looking for a new fashion trend. A woman that exhibits beauty and intellect and both Prescott and fashion photographer, Dick Avery (Astaire) decide to look for this woman who can "think as well as they look". So, the two along with the magazine staff visit a bookstore (Embryo Concepts) in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, they meet Jo Stockton, a shy bookstore clerk who also has a passion for philosophy.
Prescott tries to convince Stockton to consider becoming a model for the magazine but she does not want any part of it. But Prescott, quite persistent in having Stockton become this new face, tricks her to bringing books to the offices of Quality Magazine. As Stockton tries to hide from staff, she hides in the film developing room where Dick Avery is working. Having known that Stockton's dream is to go to Paris and attend a lecture of renown philosopher, Professor Emil Flostre, Avery convinces her that by becoming a model for Quality Magazine will eventually bring her to Paris and attending the lecture of her favorite philosopher.
So, off to Paris they go and as Dick and Jo spend time together, they eventually start to fall in love. As Jo is being prepared for the Gala to introduce her as the new fashion trend for Quality Magazine, she gets caught up in a lecture for her favorite philosopher, Emil Flostre that she forgets to attend the Gala. Thus Dick goes to look for her and causing a scene that embarrasses her in front of Flostre. But it seems that all is lost. Quality Magazine may not have their model. Dick may have lost the special woman in his life and as for Jo, she may have lost the one person that she truly loves.
"Funny Face" is a classic from it's first song sung with Kay Thompson belting out "Think Pink" to the three talents singing in Paris, Audrey Hepburn's dance at a bar (which many have seen through a recent GAP commercial), to Astaire's talents as a vocalist and dancer and Gershwin songs such as "S'Wonderful", "How Long Has This Been Going On" and "He Loves and She Loves" but for film-goers at the time, it was a film that utilized the VistaVision technology (a higher resolution and widescreen technology developed by Paramount in 1954 and an older technology that continues to be used today) and a film that featured the beauty of Paris. Talented actors, beautiful outfits, beautiful music taking place in a beautiful city, there's nothing funny about "Funny Face", the film is just overall... Beautiful!
VIDEO & AUDIO:
The film is presented in widescreen format, enhanced for 16:9 TV's. A lot of the Centennial Collection releases have been remastered for high definition and having the previous DVD's, I can tell you that the DVD looks great. The shots of Paris from yesteryear to the dreamlike scenes between Astaire and Hepburn as they dance to Thompson's "Think Pink" and white and pink just stands out. There are just many of these classic scenes that the remastered video make the film come alive. But I can only imagine how this film would look in 1080P if released in Blu-ray.
Audio is featured in Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround/English, Restored Mono, French Mono and Spanish Mono. The film of course is dialogue-driven but for those who love those Gershwin classics, they do come alive for this film courtesy of the Dolby Digital 5.1 track.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Similar to the three previous "Centennial Collections" from Paramount, the special features are all on disc 2. Because "Funny Face" was released in 2007 as a DVD, some of the special features from that disc can be found on this Centennial Collection but there are a few new features included as well.
* Kay Thompson: "Think Pink" - Kaye Thompson who played Maggie Prescott was a woman who was known for her quick wit, her sharp tongue and multi-talented. Her friends and people she worked with take part in this near-27 minute featurette in which they talk about her past, her work in "Funny Face", the memories they had working with her but also her contributions as an author with her popular books series "Eloise". It was a great featurette to have included on this DVD.
* This is VistaVision - A 25-minute featurette about the history of the VistaVision technology, the films that used it and the films that continue to use it today. A very interesting featurette especially for those who are interested in learning more about another technology outside of Anamorphic CinemaScope and the beginning of hi-res Widescreen film.
* Fashion Photographers Exposed - A 18-minute featurette about fashion photographers and how "Funny Face" inspired many of them but also giving us an idea of the life of a fashion photographer and how the work of a fashion photographer in reality differs from Dick Avery's character from the film and all the staff involved with working with a fashion photographer.
* The Fashion Designer & His Muse - An eight minute featurette (that was included in the original 2007 DVD release) about Audrey Hepburn and her designer Hubert de Givenchy.
* Parisian Dreams - An eight minute featurette about "Funny Face", a love story set in Paris and how Paris enhances a love story. Originally included in the original 2007 DVD release.
* Paramount in the 50's - Retrospective Featurette - A near ten minute featurette on Paramount and it's popular films in the 1950's, featured in various Paramount releases.
* Galleries - Featuring production stills, movie stills and publicity shots for the film.
The Centennial Collection also comes with a booklet that features information of facts of the film which include how the film differs from the 1927 Broadway musical that starred Fred Astaire and sister Adele. Also, the collaboration of screenplay writer Leonard Gershe and collaborating with real-life fashion photographer Richard Avedon and much more!
And the DVD is just classy with it's black and gold packaging (which most of the Centennial Collection are packaged) and ditching the pink and white packaging.
If there is one thing about "Funny Face", I could imagine how the film captured the attention of viewers with its stylish presentation of the fashion but also using the city of Paris and it's iconic monuments and the beauty of the city portrayed in color in this film.
Also, to have talent such as Audrey Hepburn (singing and dancing) and how she would only do the film if Fred Astaire and of course, having Kay Thompson in a rare film appearance all together is just amazing. From the classic opening scene of "Think Pink", to the moment when each person arrives in Paris and you get a beautiful look at the architecture and scenery and the choreography of Audrey Hepburn as she unwinds and starts to dance in the red-dimmed bar and many more scenes that are just enjoyable to watch.
There are just so many of these classic moments on "Funny Face" and it's not just the music scenes, there are just beautiful scenes such as Audrey Hepburn in a wedding dress, and the multiple modeling photo shoots featuring Avery and Stockton such as the scene where Stockton wears an elegant red dress and walks down the steps asking Avery to take a picture while he tells her to stop and she keeps saying "I can't Stop, take the picture" and saying it with a smile. And then with each photo shoot, the photography stills are showcased in various versions. May it be in full color, grayscale and then a combination of both. These things may seem common place today especially in color correction years of PhotoShop but back then, a lot of these visual images back in 1957 were new, fresh and unique.
And of course, the age difference between Astaire and Hepburn really doesn't matter in this film. Astaire is just full of life and he can move and dance much fluidly than many youngsters, so to have these two talents come together, it's no surprise that Hepburn feeds of his energy. Their chemistry work in each musical number and also when their characters are together. And as much as I love "Roman Holiday", "Sabrina" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's", "Funny Face" is one of those films that shows you the pure charm and the versatility of Hepburn as an actress.
Now, you may be a person who owns a prior DVD release of "Funny Face" (and other Audrey Hepburn films on DVD) and wonder if this DVD is worth upgrading to. I can tell you right now that these Centennial Collections are the definitive versions to buy on DVD. Remastered, in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and even more special features than their previous DVD incarnations, these Centennial Collection releases are just beautiful to watch, to hear and enjoy.
This DVD is highly recommended!
Rating:  -
Audrey Hepburn as a dowdy, shy little bookworm obsessed with philosophy to the point of excluding all else? Say it's not so.
But such is the legendary actress' role at the start of "Funny Face," an endearingly frothy little musical that spends equal time exploring the nightlife of 1950s Paris and a sparkly, sunny version of the fashion industry. Hepburn and Fred Astaire are the ones who really make the story shine, with plenty of song-and-dance numbers and a quirky, slightly sardonic little romance. It's never a deep story, but it's always a charming one.
Dissatisfied with the latest edition of Quality fashion magazine, publisher/editor Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson) decides to splash the world with the Next Big Trend: think pink. Cue musical number.
She also decides to add an intellectual bent to the fashion world ("Marion, dear, what are you reading?" "Minute Men from Mars!"), and temporarily takes over a boho bookstore for a suitable backdrop, much to the dismay of the owner Jo (Hepburn). Photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire) is struck by Jo's earnestness and unique "funny face," and convinces Maggie to make her their new star model -- supposedly a woman who embodies intellect as well as chic fashion.
Jo doesn't like fashion ("It is chichi, and an unrealistic approach to self-impressions as well as economics!") agrees because she wants to meet her favorite philosopher in Paris, and immerse herself into the bohemian nightlife. But she's slowly growing to love her modeling career -- and Dick as well. But when Jo encounters the eminent Professor Flostre, her budding relationship with Dick is disrupted -- can fashion and philosophy find true love, or are their differences too much?
"Funny Face" is loosely based on an old stage musical -- and by "loosely based," I mean they borrowed a few songs from it and crafted a whole new plot. Fortunately this doesn't keep the movie from being vastly entertaining -- it's a big frothy creampuff of a musical, where you can guess the ending and all the plot twists far in advance, but somehow it just doesn't matter because it's such fun, and the romance is so sweet despite Astaire and Hepburn's chasmic age gap.
Part of the movie's charm is the glamourized views of Paris -- it's all romantic hotels, dramatic photo shoots ("Take the picture, TAKE THE PICTURE!"), idyllic wedding chapels and quirky little nightclubs. And it has a lot of dry humour ("Every girl on every page of Quality has grace, elegance, and pizzazz. Now what's wrong with bringing out a girl who has character, spirit, and intelligence?" "That certainly would be novel in a fashion magazine") and not-so-subtle spoofery of the pretentions both of bohemians and of the fashion elite. And boy is that fun.
It's also graced with a bunch of delightful musical numbers -- the over-the-top "Think Pink," the sweet "'s Wonderful," the adorably quirky titular song, and the exuberant "Bonjour Paris!" Hepburn in particular shines in two of these numbers -- she sings a fragile little ballad called "How Long Has This Been Going On?" in the ruined bookshop, and does a wildly kooky "Basal Metabolism" dance number in a bohemian bistro -- it's incredibly different from everything else in the movie.
In fact, Hepburn shines in pretty much every part of this movie, and while playing a character that could have easily been annoying -- earnest, naive, rather snobbish, and idealiastically devoted to any and all "isms" -- while Astaire serves as a counterbalance, playing a photographer who is just jaded enough to see the absurdity all around him. And Thompson is a real scene-stealer as the fashion queen who seems to think that Quality Magazine keeps the whole modern world afloat.
The Centennial edition of this movie is going to have an extra disk included, only some of which is entirely relevant to the movie. Aside from the usual content -- galleries, a theatrical trailer -- the extras include some featurettes on fashion photographers, Cecil B. DeMille, Paramount in the 1950s, something about VistaVision, and one about Kay Thompson entitled (what else?) "Think Pink." And of course "The Fashion Designer and His Muse," which is presumably about Hepburn and her lifelong devotion to Givenchy.
"Funny Face" is indeed funny. It's also sweet, charming, romantic, and "'s wonderful" -- a cute little musical filled with stunningly gorgeous clothes and a bit of wicked satire. Definitely worth checking out.
Rating:  -
Another fun and cheerful musical, but with a most unusual starring character. Audrey Hepburn is charming and delightful as a philosophical bookworm. I don't buy the romantic relationship between her and Fred Astaire's characters, but Astaire's dancing seems to gloss over that little flaw in the casting. The songs aren't great, but the music helps to keep the story moving. You really have to like the actors in this to enjoy it, because it's not a great story. It's rather sweet and tries to be interesting, but falls short of great. The costumes by Givenchy are incredibly beautiful and Hepburn looks fabulous in them.
Rating: -
I enjoyed this movie very much, most entertaining, what more could you ask from the everlasting Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astair.
Rating: -
I love this movie. The box came promptly and was factory sealed. The coloring is great not overdone or garish. A must have for any collection.
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