What a pleasant surprise. Went in to this film knowing nothing of its plot, to the point I had no idea what a debutante even was, and I just let it take me for a real ride. This has got to be one of the all-time great ensemble movies, there’s a good 25 minutes of it where it’s just the 4 main characters going in and out of one room, and it’s magnificently staged by Minelli, who really pops off here. He makes every funny moment in the script and turns them up to the max with some wonderful montage and longer takes. His taste for the color red was more apparent than ever before in 1958, between this and Gigi (and presumably Some Came Running too). This might be Minelli’s funniest film, but it is also quite lovely, I love all the 4 main characters, Sheila’s want to proportionate for her stepdaughter the ball she couldn’t have, Jane’s desire to not partake in Sheila’s antics and live for herself, Jimmy’s laid back attitude and David’s pure charisma make for some amazing drama and conflicts. I have to say though, the ending of this has two characters end up together who absolutely shouldn’t and it bothered me (specially since of one them is a serial harasser). I suppose that’s my only complaint. Overall, easily Minelli’s most underrated and one of his very best.
What a pleasant surprise. Went in to this film knowing nothing of its plot, to the point I had no idea what a debutante even was, and I just let it take me for a real ride. This has got to be one of the all-time great ensemble movies, there’s a good 25 minutes of it where it’s just the 4 main characters going in and out of one room, and it’s magnificently staged by Minelli, who really pops off here. He makes every funny moment in the script and turns them up to the max with some wonderful montage and longer takes. His taste for the color red was more apparent than ever before in 1958, between this and Gigi (and presumably Some Came Running too). This might be Minelli’s funniest film, but it is also quite lovely, I love all the 4 main characters, Sheila’s want to proportionate for her stepdaughter the ball she couldn’t have, Jane’s desire to not partake in Sheila’s antics and live for herself, Jimmy’s laid back attitude and David’s pure charisma make for some amazing drama and conflicts. I have to say though, the ending of this has two characters end up together who absolutely shouldn’t and it bothered me (specially since of one them is a serial harasser). I suppose that’s my only complaint. Overall, easily Minelli’s most underrated and one of his very best.
