I was a few minutes late into see Gigi and for a few seconds I thought I was in the wrong theater. That's how great the Technicolor looks in this Best Picture winner from 1958. Also winning eight other Academy Awards in a sweep, including Vincente Minnelli's only Best Director Award. Filmed on location in Paris, Gigi is a Lerner and Lowe musical that bears a striking resemblance to their other smash hit My Fair Lady. In this film around the turn of the 20th Century, a young girl is groomed to be a courtesan while her friend, a young man of the aristocracy becomes bored with his affluent life. Of course the two fall for each other, but not until after several missteps. Narrating this tale is the young man's uncle, played by Maurice Chevalier who won an Honorary Oscar that year as well. Though Gigi does have some tremendous elements, such as the aforementioned glorious technicolor and on location Paris flavor, elements of the story feel stale and the music is all but forgettable. Gigi would have to be placed in the category of noteworthy yet slight or forgotten Best Picture winners.
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