Exuberant and sublime

Rating: 10/10 (15 February 2014)

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is quite possibly my favourite musical of all time, a glorious and sublime experience in movie-making which shines with sheer exuberance and, it has to be said, brilliance. Nobody puts a foot wrong - literally - in this colourful, song-packed outing which really offers career-best turns from the cast.
Of course, the film belongs to Gene Kelly, whose professionalism towers above all. The titular sequence is highly memorable, but then so are many others, and none of them a disappointment. This is the kind of musical you can't watch without your foot tapping away, the sort of film that Hollywood producers try to hark back to but fail miserably because they truly don't make 'em like this anymore.
The likes of Jackie Chan and other martial arts performers have cited Gene Kelly as a major influence on their work and it's clear to see how; the way Kelly moves, turns, and interacts with props, other performers, and scenery is just flawless. Even better, in some ways, is Donald O'Connor's solo number in which he performs the wall somersaults with dizzying splendour. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is the sort of film that finishes leaving you with the feeling like you want to watch it all over again.