Film Club Winner
Congratulations to Heather McHugh (S4) who has won Film Club’s Review of the Week for her fantastic review of My Fair Lady.
Her winning review can be viewed below:
My Fair Lady
Stories centred on bets are my favourite kind of story. Whatever the stakes whether it’s a life or death situation or just who gets the last bite of a mouldy tuna sandwich – the tension amassed in these stories is something akin to story-writing gold. If there’s even the word bet in the synopsis, you can bet I’m all over it. (Ha ha. I promise I’m funny sometimes, don’t give up on me yet!) Puns aside, when my mum gave me a brief overview of the plot of My Fair Lady in an attempt to expand my majorly lacking knowledge of musicals, I did the one thing every person who’s ever consumed media for fun will agree that you don’t do. I got my hopes up. I know, I know. I broke the golden rule, but so what? It’s not like I can just become devoid of all excitement at the touch of a metaphorical button. What can I say; I’m a sucker for a good bet.
My Fair Lady follows Eliza Doolittle – a poor flower girl that speaks in a slang-ridden cockney accent – as she whirled into the whimsical world of the upper class, with all the accompanying glitz and glamour. After being told she’ll never be hired if she can’t speak “proper” English, she goes to language professor Henry Higgins to ask for English lessons. Henry decides to make a bet with his friend, Colonel Hugh Pickering, that he can turn Eliza into a refined lady in just six months. He takes Eliza into his home, buys her extravagant clothes and delicious food, and forces to her slave away day and night to achieve his goal. All the while, Eliza and Henry grow closer and realise that there could be more between them than just a bet.
This film was hilarious! It took every opportunity to poke fun at its characters, yet still keep them dignified, and delivered a number of well-crafted jokes at their expense. Even so, it offered an interesting view on social class and gender roles that is still relevant today. Not to mention the soundtrack! No musical is complete without a killer track-list, and I’d be lying if I said that “Get Me to the Church on Time” and “I Could Have Danced All Night” haven’t been playing in my head on loop for days-on-end.
My Fair Lady is a potent and heart-warming commentary on significant issues in the world that can be enjoyed by practically anyone. With Audrey Hepburn playing Eliza and Rex Harrison cast as Henry, the acting was top-notch. As long as you can sit through its almost three hour run-time; My Fair Lady is a must-watch. It didn’t win eight Oscars for nothing.
