My grandmother had the biggest crush on Gene Kelly when she was very young. Most women did. The guy was handsome, talented, and flooded the room with his charisma. But my grandmother's relationship with Gene Kelly was special. Kelly was a dead ringer for her uncle, who shared a closer relationship with each other than my grandmother did with her own father. My great uncle didn't just look like Gene Kelly: He danced like Gene Kelly. He sung like Gene Kelly. He practically was Gene Kelly. My grandmother and her uncle went everywhere together, especially the movies.

But my grandmother only got to know my great uncle for a relatively short amount of time. He died in 1943 when she…

Reflecting state-of-the-art quality in every filmmaking aspect, jam-packed with wonderful songs, amazing choreography & exquisite use of humour, and depicting the often frustrating process of getting accustomed to something completely new, Singin' in the Rain is the story of a silent film production company which, along with its cast, makes a difficult transition to sound.

To be honest, I'm not really a fan of musicals. In fact, I despise live-action musicals but this film has so much charm, charisma & laughter that it manages to make itself work extremely well for the majority of its runtime. Directed by Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen, the film is a hilarious ride from start to finish & puts on screen some of the most exhausting dance numbers…

“What's the first thing an actor learns? ‘The show must go on!' Come rain, come shine, come snow, come sleet, the show must go on!”

The Good:
I absolutely adore every single musical number in this 1952 masterpiece. During every number I caught myself with this huge goofy smile I couldn’t get rid of. Technically speaking the numbers are incredibly well-done, the choreography was absolutely spectacular, it was so seamless and flowing. The excellent vocal performances, wonderful score and masterful choreography all culminate in brillant musical numbers. 

All of the performances in Singin’ In The Rain are fantastic. Gene Kelley & Donald O’Connor are a hilarious pair and Kelley & Debbie Reynolds have impeccable chemistry. Jean Hegen also delivers a very solid…

I always held an innate prejudice against this movie. Like an idiot, I hated musicals for a really long time and only recently discovered a deep-seared love for them. And I also just assumed it was going to be this saccharine cheesy thing that I hated. 

What I didn’t expect was this spectacular experience. This visual feast. This film with a stunning use of color and jaw dropping choreography. This film that somehow still manages to feel fresh and entertaining all of these years later. There are so many sequences that were so much more daring and exciting than I expected in a movie I had written off as pure family fare. 

I adore so many things about this movie.…

OUTSTANDING FILM

Me in June: No film has every had a more beautiful musical sequence than the ballet in "The Red Shoes."

Me Now: What a glorious film! This is what the world needs. Nothing dark, only fun. Nothing ugly, only beauty! The 17-minute dance sequence said more than anything for the entire film. I definitely hope that the musical makes a comeback in the modern age. It's something everyone needs. Damien Chazelle definitely seems to be bringing that along with La La Land and hopefully Wes Anderson to follow.

"Singin' in the Rain" was directed by Stanley Donen with assistance from Gene Kelly himself, the latter of whom stars in the picture. The film is about the late 1920s…