My Fair Lady

Mum loves this film

forgot, what a great film it was

I did enjoy watching the film again.What was not good is the the cover on the cd box was all in Spanish. Very annoying.It did not really make any difference because I know the story and so did not need to look at it.Would have been much better to have it in U. K. English.

Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) is a Cockney Girl trying to make a meagre sum by selling flowers to the Rich in the West End of London. Her Father Alfred (Stanley Holloway) doesn't work and only visits her to try and get any money he can to spend on beer. She meets Colonel Pickering (Wilfred Hyde-White) and during this conversation Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) overhears them and is intrigued by her purely on how she talks and is horrified to hear English spoken in such a way "this is the language of Shakespeare, Milton and The Bible". Higgins bets Pickering that in 6 months he could pass her off as a Duchess at the Embassy Ball by giving Eliza extensive vocal training by bribing her with Chocolates and a luxurious room in his home at Wimpole Street, She begins to dream of a better life and leaves for his home.As the months pass Higgins tries multiple methods to teach her pronunciation (Some of which are verging on cruelty) while Col. Pickering watches on and warns him not to push her too hard. After a breakthrough he decides that she is ready and should go to his mothers (Gladys Cooper) box at Royal Ascot and initially impresses the upper-class there including Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Jeremy Brett) who falls in love with her, however the façade fails in a humorous way and Eliza is left devastated.its the day of the ball following a few weeks of hard work and Pickering by now is convinced that the bet was a big mistake and they should stop before all 3 are embarrassed but Higgins is cocksure and has every faith in his ability and methods. His confidence is vindicated when she is a big success and passes the ultimate test along the way, When they return Higgins' ignorance leads to tension between him and Eliza mainly because having become a lady she is left trying to deal with an identity crisis and the uncertainty over her future, You have probably seen this already or you could guess how it ends but suffice to say its a moving ending with one of the greatest songs ever written for a musical.It features some memorable performances from the two leads. Rex Harrison deservedly won an Oscar for his portrayal of Prof. Higgins I do agree with people who say that the professor does not hate women alone. he even admits it in the film that he treats everyone with the same disdain (apart from Pickering). Being incredibly biased I have to say that the star of the show is definitely Audrey and she is the definitive Eliza Doolittle. Some people knocked her character before the transformation but you cant help but love the roguish charm she gave her ("GARN!") and personally her accent is fine because its set in a romanticized Edwardian England so its immaterial really. When she becomes a lady however few people will argue how spectacular her performance is, Audrey was always modest about her acting but the elegance and vulnerability she brought to it made you feel that she played two separate characters .The cheerful Cockney flower girl and the insecure, fragile educated woman. As good an actress and singer that Julie Andrews is I don't think she has the ability to perform the last few acts like Audrey did. Its a shame she did not win an Oscar because she deserved it for the last scenes alone..quite ironic that Julie won the best actress Oscar (Mary Poppins) when this should have been nominated. Gladys Cooper plays Mrs Higgins with aplomb and Jeremy Brett is wonderful as the lovesick Freddy, its amusing to see Sherlock Holmes in such a different light!The production was huge and you have to be impressed by the sheer amount of work put into it, if you look at the sets and costumes (provided by Cecil Beaton) the attention to detail is immaculate to the gloves the ladies are wearing. Andre Previn creates a memorable score for this mammoth picture, the modern DVD has a rich video and the sound really gives it justice.Settle down on a dark night with a cup of something warm and enjoy this audio/visual treat now wouldn't that be loverly?!

Well acted by a star cast at the timeMusic largely now unknown by the younger element but very joinalongable

I wouldn’t presume to review this iconic film of the musical. Unsurpassable perfection.

Nothing

I watched it on a dark wet afternoon and it cheered me up no end