While I am a big fan of the earlier films teaming Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, this one is a pretty big disappointment. Perhaps it was partly the result of a decade since their last film together, but it is really tough to place film in the same league as fine films such as TOP HAT and SHALL WE DANCE. It was like the original spark and fun was missing from this film. Probably the biggest problem was the script. In most of their more successful films, the plot involves single man Fred meeting and falling for single lady Ginger (or vice-versa). However, in this one they are already married and the bloom has worn off the marriage--realizing they really didn't love each other so much after all! Fans of the team would in many cases be naturally appalled as I was. A bickering and nasty Astaire and Rogers is NOT what we'd come to expect!
Apart from the plot, the film was a mixed bag. The songs, in general, were pretty poor and weren't especially memorable (though I did like a few numbers, such as the one with the shoes and the invisible dancers). For support, instead of a best friend for Fred and a best friend for Ginger (the old formula), there is one shared friend in the form of Oscar Levant--who was one of the brighter parts of the film. While I missed Edward Everett Horton or Eric Bloor from the earlier films, Levant was still excellent--with his funny and droll comments as well as his amazing talent at the piano (particularly "The Russian Sabre Dance"--wow).
So, overall, the film is pretty good--even slightly better than average, but definitely a step down for the team. Worth seeing, but not a film to rush to see and not at all indicative of the team's earlier work.
Apart from the plot, the film was a mixed bag. The songs, in general, were pretty poor and weren't especially memorable (though I did like a few numbers, such as the one with the shoes and the invisible dancers). For support, instead of a best friend for Fred and a best friend for Ginger (the old formula), there is one shared friend in the form of Oscar Levant--who was one of the brighter parts of the film. While I missed Edward Everett Horton or Eric Bloor from the earlier films, Levant was still excellent--with his funny and droll comments as well as his amazing talent at the piano (particularly "The Russian Sabre Dance"--wow).
So, overall, the film is pretty good--even slightly better than average, but definitely a step down for the team. Worth seeing, but not a film to rush to see and not at all indicative of the team's earlier work.