Thursday, October 28, 2010

Capsule Review: Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Singing_1Gotta dance! Just because I grew up on a steady diet of kung-fu and horror movies doesn't mean that I can't still absolutely adore this delirious combination of music and jaw-dropping physicality. Staged around the transition from silent films to talkies, Gene Kelly stars as Don Lockwood who nearly finds himself a laughing stock when his current co-star's voice threatens to sink his first talking picture. With the help of his friend Cosmo Brown (Donald O'Connor) and new gal Kathy Selden, they conspire to turn the film into a musical. much to the chagrin of the squawky Lina Lamot (Jean Hagen). Film fans know the title number - originally from The Hollywood Revue of 1929 - but the film is absolutely packed with unforgettable sequences: "Good Morning" performed by Gene Kelly/Donald O'Connor/Debbie Reynolds, Rita Moreno and Gene Kelly dancing up a storm, and the exhausting “Make 'em Laugh” performance. As deliberately choreographed and paced as any action film, it remains a film of endless charm and excitement.

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