Funny Face was released on February 13th, 1957. Directed by Stanley Donen, it stars Audrey Hepburn as Jo Stockton, a shy bookstore assistant and amateur philosopher, who is swept up into the fashion industry by photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire). Initially put off by Avery and his fashion magazine's frenetic ways, Jo is convinced to become the company's new model when Dick indicates that they will be going to Paris, where her favorite philosopher lives, to shoot pictures for
Quality magazine.
What I found interesting here was the clash between American consumerism, represented by Avery and the fashion industry, and continental philosophy, represented by Jo and her empathicalism (there's also passing references to Jean Paul Sartre). These are two forces which have, over the past century, all but destroyed western culture. Here they are both presented as frivolous trends. In 1957 no one could have imagined the cultural impact these things would have. Nevertheless, the film has a healthy awareness about how empty both the fashion industry and Jo's philosophy are. This becomes especially apparent when the action shifts from Manhattan to Paris, a city filled to the brim with signs of real history and culture.
In many ways it's the clash of worldviews that provides the impetus for Dick and Jo's blooming romance. Both have something the other needs. Dick, with his rather empty, frantic lifestyle benefits from Jo's love of life and contemplative nature while she benefits from Dick's strong work ethic and no-nonsense attitude. When the two begin there photo-shoot, Jo is quickly swept up in the glitz and glamour of the thing but when they go to the Château de la Reine Blanche, a lovely chapel situated on a pictereseque riverfront, she becomes agitated. Dressed in a wedding gown, standing in front of the church, she begins to long for something deeper and more meaningful. It's in this scene that she and Dick finally admit their feelings for each other. The film returns to this location at the end, where the two make up after a bitter quarrel, again suggesting something truly lasting: a marriage.
Of course, as much I find these ideas fascinating, the filmmakers were not really interested in exploring them. The real reason this film exists is to function as a vehicle for the song and dance numbers, and they are pretty terrific. Stanley Donen, the director of such classics as
Singin' in the Rain and
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers definitely knows how to direct a musical. Astaire's talents as a dancer are well utilized, particularly during "Let's Kiss and Make Up". Hepburn's natural charm and energy are also fully on display especially in her dancing scene at the cafe. Hepburn and Astaire's relationship is surprisingly charming despite the nearly 30 year age gap between the actors.
Five of the songs ("How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Funny Face", "He Loves and She Loves", "Let's Kiss and Make Up", and "'S Wonderful") are lifted from the 1927 Broadway Musical of the same name (which also starred Astaire but bears little resemblance to this film) and are written by George and Ira Gershwin. These are all uniformly great with energetic, jazzy rhythms and quirky, often clipped lyrics beautifully delivered by Hepburn and Astaire. The other songs ("Think Pink!", "Bonjour, Paris!", "Basal Metabolism", and "On How to Be Lovely"), written by Roger Edens and Leonard Gershe, fair less well in comparison but are not bad by any stretch.
The cinematography by Ray June and set design by Sam Comer and Ray Moyer (who also worked on
Breakfast at Tiffany's,
Sunset Boulevard and
The Ten Commandments among many others) is simply amazing. Visually the film is a sort of fashion magazine cover brought to life and the contrast created between the sterile, mod aesthetic of
Quality's
New York headquarters with the picturesque, classical quality of Paris is striking.
Though it flirts with some deeper ideas, in the end,
Funny Face is simply a really well made musical, one of the last of the classic Hollywood era.
Score: 9/10
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