Okay so we've all got some cinema Secrets right? Whether you've never seen Star Wars, heard of Paul Newman or whatever it is, we've all got a few skeletons in our closets. Until today one of mine was that I'd never seen a Fred Astair film. This wasn't due to any particular disdain for Astair himself, nor was it a shun of the musical genre, I am quite partial to the works of both Bob Fosse and Gene Kelly, among others. Just somehow I'd never quite got round to seeking out a film from one of the legends of the genre. Top Hat is a film that tends to crop up in 'best films' lists from time to time so I figured I'd give it a shot.
I was expecting a film filled with romance and dancing, which to some extent I got, but what I was not expecting was the level of humour in this film also. This is not a criticism of the film, far from it, the film was amusing, engaging and fun to watch, with Astair coming off as charming throughout. The basic premise of the amusement comes from a series of mistaken identities in romance, a situation they exploit to it's fullest amusement capabilities. The singing and dancing fit into the film strangely well, where some musicals it can feel jarring of out of place, Astair is set up as a dancer from the start and it is explained to us that he enjoys to dance when he is feeling jovial, as such when he spontaneously breaks into song in response to a question it doesn't so much feel out of place. Elsewhere dancing is done at parties or wedding ceremonies, and is therefore expected.
This is a wonderful film that is sure to light the hearts of even the most cold hearted Bastard, such as myself. It is also a great example of how to pull of a Top and Tails combo. Give it a go!
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