Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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336 of 342 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
How do you do? And which DVD version to buy ..., July 12, 2004
MFL is a marvellous film about a professor who turns a common flower girl into a lady. It is full of sing-a-long songs and funny moments. It is basically a classic for all the right reasons! Plenty of re-watch factor makes it a film to own.
In 1994, the film was restored and thank the lord they did! The film's negative was almost lost forever. In fact, the film had become yellow-tinged and full of scratches, blotches and all the rest! It would have been a very sad day for the movie industry if a flim like this had been lost.
The original DVD that featured this new restoration was released in the late 90's. This DVD included a 9 minute featurette, actor profiles, audio commentary, and Audrey Hepburn singing in 2 scenes.
This original 1-disc DVD has since been updated to a special 2-Disc Edition. Which one to get? I have both so I feel qualified to answer this. The new DVD includes all the features found on the original DVD, except the actor profiles. The new DVD once again includes the restored print but is apparently a new transfer from the restored print. However, according to a report that I have read, the new transfer is not perfect and has aliasing problems throughout. The average watcher probably won't pick up on this detail. If this is an issue to you, purchase the original edition DVD where the transfer has been given two thumbs up!
The advantage of the special 2-Disc Edition DVD is that it includes a 58 minute 1994 documentary hosted by Jeremy Brett (Audrey's love interest in the film). Jeremy is no longer with us, so it's nice to have this as a piece of nostalgia. On top of this, there are many more features on this disc that aren't included on the original DVD such as footage from the film's premiere, production dinner, as well as discussions with Rex and Audrey.
The choice is easy. If you're a fan of the film and don't care for all the extras, buy the original DVD. You at least get the best transfer. If you do care about having all the extras, buy both!
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28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More than fair, it's luverly, February 15, 2000
This is a extremely elegant and stylish movie - the kind of spectacle that you just don't see any more, in a certain type of Technicolour that just isn't duplicated these days. Extremely witty and classic songs, a swish script, and gorgeous costumes. Admittedly, it is eye candy, but what eye candy! George Cukor directs it with true aplomb, turning "Titanic-era" London into a stylised and colourful melée, bringing out the humour and joyfulness of the screenplay, and Cecil Beaton's extravagant and yet, somehow, chic costumes and sets form a perfect setting for the actors - and the actors themselves are superb. Rex Harrison is totally believable as Henry Higgins, mixing crustiness with a very dry humour, whereas Audrey Hepburn looks just right as Eliza Doolittle. One is forced to ponder what Julie Andrews would have done in the role, following her playing the part on stage, but I just can't see Eliza played by anyone other than Audrey Hepburn, who is, quite simply, delicious. From the mawkish, ramshackle flower-girl, to the rebellious pupil, to the cool and composed "lady" of the title, she is perfectly credible, whether throwing a Cockney temperament, or floating through the conservatory, calmly sending Professor Higgins about his business. I am told her Cockney accent is awful, but being deaf, I cannot comment; no more than I can comment upon the fact that apparently her recording of "Oh Wouldn't It Be Luverly" has been reinstated upon the soundtrack. The appeal for this film lies in its spectacle - I saw it at the cinema once, in an arthouse revival, and it was utterly amazing - and in the speech therapy storyline, which has a lot of relevance to me. "My Fair Lady" is simply... a cinematic glory of a particular type that would be impossible to duplicate ever again. The Ascot scene is worth the money alone, a refreshing, gliding harmony of black and white, choreographed and stylised escapism, totally summing up the essence of a musical.Ah, it's lu-ver-ly - Lu-ver-ly - Lovely!
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Chemistry., January 7, 2007
First, I fully admit that I have seldom been a fan of musicals. This changed my mind. Audrey Hepburn & Rex Harrison truly had perfect chemistry. Stanley Holloway was also excellent as A.P. Doolittle. It won 8 Oscars for a reason. This is a richly layered story. One of this quality that you are unlikely to see again. Humor , music & the angst of human foibles are finely meshed into an improbable story. Centered around Eliza Doolittle, a flower girl who wishes for a better life with all its finery. In front of a theater she hears someone mimicking her every word.
The man, professor Higgins{Rex Harrison} claims he can make a lady of her if she wants to try. She shows up at his doorstep & the comedic soap opera begins. The journey is a sparkler. Liza discovers she is becoming a lady, & starts falling in love with the patronizing professor. The feeling is mutual, but prof. Higgins fights it all the way. On the outside Liza appears to become a new person, but inside she is the same. Struggling to find her place in the world while feeling lost between the old & the new. Where will she fit in? Watch & find out. The music flows through the movie like a cool breeze. This was three hours well spent.
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