Whose Fair Lady?

Flower!


Emma Thompson doesn't like the movie My Fair Lady. I don't either.

 In fact I think it stinks. It's at least an hour too long, it's essentially a filmed play with no interesting camera work at all, Cecil Beaton's over  the top costumes reinforce the stagy look of the film, the performances are hammy and self indulgent and all of Shaw's wonderful, biting social commentary and humor have been completely sanitized out of the movie. It's a like a 1970's Disney movie: painfully bad and not worthy of any age group.

I blame the director, George Cukor. Emma seems to blame Audrey Hepburn.

My Fair Lady should have been excellent. Shaw's play is perfection and the Lerner and Loewe score is witty and hum-able. It's a perfect candidate for a remake.

Thompson has also publically declared her dislike for Audrey Hepburn's acting. Bold move Emma. Criticizing Saint Audrey is not going to go over well. Hepburn had a childhood traumatized by WWII, was a very popular actress, raised children that have stayed out of the tabloids and spent years of her life doing good works for children's' charities. Personally I think Audrey Hepburn was a wonderful actress/comedienne with a limited range, amazing personal style, a fantastic eye for picking material she could shine in and a boat load of charisma.

I like Emma too, but Hepburn movie? Thompson movie? I'd pick the Hepburn.

Happy