Lili
Tags: romantic

Plot synopsis:
Naive country girl Lili (Leslie Caron) arrives in a provincial town in hopes of locating an old friend of her late father, only to find that he has died. A local shopkeeper offers her employment, then tries to take advantage of her. She is rescued by a handsome, smooth-talking, womanizing carnival magician, Marc, whose stage name is Marcus the Magnificent (Jean-Pierre Aumont). Lili is infatuated with him and follows him to the carnival, where on learning that she is 16, he helps her get a job as waitress. Lili is fired on her first night when she spends her time watching the magic act instead of waiting tables. When Lili consults the magician for advice, he tells her to go back to where she came from. Homeless and heartbroken, she contemplates suicide, unaware that she is being watched by the carnival's puppeteer Paul (Mel Ferrer). He strikes up a conversation with her through his puppets—a brash red-haired boy named Carrot Top, a sly fox, Reynardo, a vain ballerina, Marguerite, and a cowardly giant, Golo. Soon, a large group of carnival workers is enthralled watching Lili's interaction with the puppets, as she is seemingly unaware that there is a puppeteer behind the curtain. Afterwards, Paul and his partner Jacquot (Kurt Kasznar) offer Lili a job in the act, talking with the puppets. She accepts, and her natural manner of interacting with the puppets becomes the most valuable part of the act.
Paul was once a well-known dancer, but suffered a leg injury in World War II. He regards the puppet show as far inferior to his old career, which embitters him. Lili refers to him as "the Angry Man". Although he falls in love with Lili, he can only express his feelings through the puppets. Fearing rejection due to his physical impairment, he keeps his distance by being unpleasant to her. Lili continues to dream about the handsome magician, wishing to replace his assistant Rosalie (Zsa Zsa Gabor).
Soon, Marcus receives an offer to perform at the local casino and decides to leave the carnival, to the joy of Rosalie, who announces to everyone that she is his wife. Lili is heartbroken and innocently invites Marc to her trailer. His lecherous plans are interrupted by Paul, and he leaves. When Lili finds Marc's wedding ring in the seat cushions and tries to chase him, Paul stops her, calls her a fool, and slaps her.
Two impresarios from Paris who have been scouting the show come to see Paul and Jacquot. They recognize Paul as the former dancer and tell him that his act with Lili and the puppets is ingenious. Paul is ecstatic about this and the offer, but Jacquot tells the agents that they will have to let them know. He then tells Paul that Lili is leaving.
Lili takes the wedding ring to Marc and tells him that every little girl has to wake up from her girlish dreams. She has decided to leave the carnival. On her way out, she is stopped by the voices of Carrot Top and Reynardo, who ask her to take them with her. As they embrace her, she finds they are shaking. She remembers somebody is behind the curtain and pulls it away to see Paul. Instead of telling her how he feels, he tells her of the agents' offer. She confronts him about the difference between his real self, seemingly incapable of love, and his puppets. He tells her he is the puppets, a creature of many facets and many flaws. He concludes by telling her, "This is business." "Not any more," retorts Lili, who walks away.
Walking out of town, she imagines that the puppets, now life-sized, have joined her. As she dances with each puppet in turn, they all turn into Paul. Coming back to reality, Lili runs back to the carnival and into Paul's arms. They kiss passionately as the puppets applaud.

Review: The most telling line in the film is spoken by Paul's partner, who chides Paul for slapping Lili and says, "She is realizing that there is cruelty in the world, and she is learning to protect herself from it." Like Eve in the Garden of Eden, Lili's loss of innocence comes with her knowledge of evil, not her loss of virginity.And unlike other coming of age movies that have the young actors tossing around "cute" sexual comments that don't ring true for a callow young person (because they were obviously scripted by a jaded 50-year-old male), "Lili" rings true with every note (as Paul says, "She's like a little bell that gives off a pure sound every time you strike it.").
Her naivety is far more true to form -- when she is warned by one of the puppets that the lecherous puppet Renaldo "is a wolf", the innocent Lili replies, "I thought he was a fox." This is exactly the way a kid would really respond -- not "getting" the sexual reference and thinking that the comment was about the species of the animal.I understand Audrey Hepburn beat out Leslie Caron for the Oscar that year with her amateurish performance in "Roman Holiday" -- what a travesty that was, since Audrey's performance had none of the depth and exquisite vulnerability of Leslie's performance in "Lili"..
LILI, the 1953 film starring Leslie Caron in the title role, is one of the first examples of a screenplay being turned into a stage musical (CARNIVAL).
When young Lili (Leslie Caron in a gorgeously crafted and heartbreaking performance) comes to a small French village, looking for a family friend, she is devastated to learn that he has died.
Lonely and desperate, she attempts to kill herself but is saved once again; this time by Paul the carnival puppeteer (a dashing Mel Ferrer in a fine performance) who speaks to her through his puppets, kindly Carrot Top, vain Marguerite, wily Reynaldo the Fox and innocent Horrible Henry the Giant.
Paul, a former dancer, crippled years earlier in an accident, is full of anger and resentment but takes pity on Lili, who is so charmed by the puppets that, like a child, she forgets his presence.The film explores their turbulent relationship as Lili becomes the star of the Carnival, charming patrons with an uncanny ability to speak to the puppets as if they are real.
Complications arise as Paul begins to realize his own affection for Lili, while Lili continues to be infatuated with the magician, who's assistant (Zsa Zsa Gabor) is his wife.With fine performances all around and an unusual atmosphere, the film has something of a cult following and is highly regarded for its frank and emotional nature.
With its full-color cinematography, adorable puppets and carnival setting, this film might be mistaken for a children's story but deals, rather, with powerful adult themes.
The character of Mel Ferrer is reminiscent of the Beast in "the Beauty and the Beast", a tortured soul aching for love, and as any girl worth her salt would know, tortured souls make the best kind of heroes!The two dance/fantasy sequences are charming, especially the latter one, where Lili grows from an awkward, love-sick child into a woman of character and determination, all in a few steps of waltz.
Leslie Caron does a marvelous job of making us believe she is an awkward 16 year old in love with a magician.
The ballet sequence at the end of the film in which each puppet turn into Paul, the puppeteer, making Lili realize she loves him is magical.
i hope people will not be turned off by the age of the movie (it is over 50 years old now) because i find newer love stories to be far too sexual that leaves nothing to the imagination.
What it is about puppet shows that make them so entertaining, whether in Lili or the Sound of Music?Leslie Caron radiates innocence during the scenes where she speaks to the puppets.
These scenes are so charming that you won't want to miss any of them.Caron's "relationship" with the Ferrer, a seemingly gruff person who's gentle side is revealed only through the puppets, is crystalized in a final dreamlike sequence reminiscent of Dorothy and the others walking on the yellow brick road in Wizard of Oz. Except, here it's Lili and the puppets, now in "life size" form.Throughout the movie, Caron is completely convincing as one who during the puppet shows believes she is speaking to the puppets as if they were alive.
The innocence radiated by the puppets and her contrast greatly with the complexities and anger present in "real" life.Indeed, Ferrer initially uses the puppets to rescue Caron from a moment of despair that might have been tragic and at another point, mistaking an action by Caron, actually slaps her.Will Caron come to grips with, and accept, the fact that her feelings are not for the puppets, but for Ferrer, whom she knows only as an angry man she believes hates her?I both cheered and felt tears welling up at the end of this movie.
Didn't see Lili until fairly recently, but it is a film so irresistibly charming and well-done that it was so easy to fall under its spell.Lili looks fabulous, the fantasy ballet sequence and Caron's scene with Zsa Zsa Gabor is shot in richly beautiful Technicolor, the puppets still look great- plus they manage to bring a slight creepiness too- and the MGM French village set is made superb use of.
The Oscar-winning music score by Bronislau Kaper has plenty of appropriate whimsy, without falling into sugary sweet territory, and rousing lushness, while the song Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo lilts beautifully and accompanies one of the most memorable scenes in the film, in which Caron is seen singing along with the puppets, even more impressively.The script is both witty and touching, handling a potentially difficult subject inspiringly and only in Stand by Me has coming of age been portrayed more honestly in film.
Leslie Caron positively enchants here, while Mel Ferrer brilliantly brings a sympathetic edge to an at times dark role, particularly telling when with the puppets.
A lovely story that is not trite, and of course Leslie Caron, who I admit I am partial to, is excellent here.As Lili, a disaffected orphan struggling in sadness, to find some kind of life.
Leslie Caron is a bit puzzling--she's both scowling and sweet--but when Lili has a dream and metamorphoses into a woman of the world (vying for the attentions of a handsome magician with Zsa Zsa Gabor no less!), it's shocking to see the actress so glamorously grown-up.
The tune "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" gets a real work-out (it's a pleasant song, if you're attuned to the film's fanciful charms), and Mel Ferrer is possibly too intrinsically dark as a romantic suitor; he's meant to be anti-social, but his long, grim face could use a little mediating.
It tells the coming of age of an adolescent orphan girl who gets involved with a carnival, her infatuation with a magician who is a ladies man, and her involvement with a puppeteer (Mel Ferrer).
Sweet little story.The story of a 16-year old orphaned girl, Lili (played by Leslie Caron), who, after main trials and tribulations, gets a job in a carnival as a puppeteer's assistant.
Leslie Caron is wonderful as Lili and Mel Ferrer puts in a solid performance as Paul, the puppeteer.
And then, without any bias, will trash heinous concepts as "men do not cry", "romance is for dreamers" or "That's film for girls." "Lili" (the wonderful Leslie Caron who then return to catch us in "The Glass Slipper") is captivating.
Amazing thing about the movie its main love story is that the main character falls in love with a man not thanks to his charm but through the puppets he plays.
I believe that this film - Lili- is the perfect example for us to think about why we love the movies..PUPPETS..
The title role however is played by Leslie Caron who with her elfin charm and ability to dance was doing a small dress rehearsal for the much bigger budgeted Gigi.Lili is a French orphan who wanders into Marseilles looking for employment at a bakery owned by a friend of her late father.
This is where the song Hi Lili Hi Lo comes in which became a mega hit for the show.Caron's dancing talent is utilized to maximum effectiveness in the final imaginary ballet sequence.
The film itself earned a few and composer Bronislau Kaper got an Oscar for overall scoring.Zsa Zsa Gabor is in this as well playing Aumont's wife who for the sake of the act keeps the marriage a secret so that love struck girls can imagine themselves with him.
She plays it well too.Charming musical numbers, a charming performance by Leslie Caron, and a great bit of acting from Mel Ferrer.
There's something gently magical about "Lili."If you can stomach the antiquated gender politics of the 1950s, you will find a lovely, melancholy little film about a naive young woman (Leslie Caron) who comes to realize that she loves a grumpy puppeteer (Mel Ferrer) rather than the more conventionally handsome and charismatic magician who first enraptures her.
Ditto a dream sequence that serves as the film's finale, when the puppets are replaced by adult-sized counterparts who engage in a dance with Lili as she comes to the realization of where her heart lies.
Mel Ferrer is the brooding puppeteer who only expresses his true feelings through his alter-ego hand puppets.Acclaimed in its day and still well-loved by many, LILI (1953) nevertheless feels like the obscure film it has become.
The darkness of his character feels out of place in Lili's magical world.Leslie Caron is cute as a button and innocent as a cotton ball, but can you make a movie around her perky nose and moist eyelids?
This film was a spirit of France upon their shows and Melodies by a brilliant dancer , actress and singer Lisile Caron upon this film which was a preparation roots for a more marvelous movie (Gigi) with Louis Jordan and the second one in France The country of arts , culture , beauty and merry melodies.The Muppet's of this story played a great role and cause for making a magic moment in this film which made a funny feelings for audience to be fond of this film every moment because of their eternal story , songs , shows and acting.An Important point in art (the finishing) which enter any art work in the eternity as this film by a brilliant end by the funny spirit of Muppet's that congratulated the lovers on their marriage after the victory of their love in spite of hard situations..
She is distracted by a group of character puppets, who helps her forget her sorrow...Lili is introduced to Carrot Top, the interesting fellow capable of running his life and everybody else; to Golo, the cowardly giant longing to be loved; to Reynaldo, the thief and opportunist full of compromises and lies; and finally to Marguerite, the vain, jealous beauty obsessed with self...
She tells Marcus: 'I've been living in a dream like a little girl, not seeing what I didn't want to see.' She discovers that the love exuding from her adorable puppets comes from the loves of that unreasonable, mean, jealous, bitter puppeteer...Jean-Pierre Aumont adds his charm to the whole story, and remains the beautiful magician armed with an exceptionally likable stage personality...Kurt Kaszner continues to be Paul's loyal and peaceful friend who explains to the delicate girl that the boss had once been a great dancer until his leg was injured in the war and could no longer dance...Zsa Zsa Gabor behaves as the glamorous assistant whose fervent desire is to reveal to everybody her secret...Charles Walters' motion picture is not very musical, but his film culminates in a delightful dream ballet...
Caron demonstrates a graceful dancing...The movie received six Academy Award nominations including Leslie Caron as Best Actress in a Leading Role, and won the Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, and accommodated the hit song "Hi Lili, Hi Lo.'.
I just watched "Lili" a couple of nights ago, and I was amazed by this truly special little film.Lili (Leslie Caron) is a poor orphan waif, who is cast about on the world when her father dies suddenly.
Paul falls in love with her, but Lili only sees him as "the angry boss", not realising that the puppets represent the facets of his personality.Running only 81 minutes long, "Lili" packs a lot of ideas into it's running time, yet never loses it's enchanting, fable-like simplicity.
Cast aside somewhat as another MGM musical, "Lili" only really contains one song ("Hi Lili, Hi Lo", which Caron performs with the puppets) and two dance sequences.
The dance sequences are simple yet surreal-- the final one has Lili, ready to depart from the circus, dancing with the four puppets, who one by one turn into Paul.One of the easiest 10's I have ever given, and really it is a perfect little film.
Lili also imagines herself doing high kicks and running rings around her man.But in the last sequence--the dance with the puppets-- Lili imagines a deep, complete love, where both her and Paul dance together.
With the final puppet transforming into Paul, they dance slowly, his arms protectively supporting her shoulders.Dismissed by some as showily surreal and as just a rip-off of the ballet "An American In Paris", this final dream sequence encapsulates Lili's discovery about life and love..
Through them she comes to know the hidden man, and Paul admits in his soliloquy that the puppets are his only way to reach out to this girl who so strongly charms him.(To her face, he can only show helpless anger that frightens her.) Lili's journey from overgrown child to mature young woman is revealed by the ballet sequences skillfully woven into the plot.
The ballet dream sequence near the end, in which Lili uncovers the real man behind each puppet's personality and realizes how much he loves her, is absolutely enchanting.
Leslie Caron plays a 16-year-old orphan (she is 22 at the time) that finds herself abandoned and alone in a small French provincial town, so naturally she joins the carnival that just happens to be passing through it.
The summary quote, spoken by Paul the Puppeteer (Mel Ferrer, 35) pretty well sums up Lili (Leslie Caron, 21).
LILI is one of those films that, whenever it comes on, I simply HAVE to settle in and watch.A simple little story: Lili Daurier (Caron), a teenager recently orphaned upon the death of her father, stumbles upon a carnival and soon falls in love with the puppet show, and the puppets.
She takes comfort with Marc (Jean Pierre Aumont), but he is far too wise to take advantage of a girl in love with someone else.That someone else is Paul, though the innocent Lili does not realize this: to her the puppets are people.
But in a showdown with Paul, he reveals himself to her and tells her to go home.Walking on the road once more, suitcase and purse in hand, Lili encounters the puppets in a dream scene: all four are played by dancers in costume, and after she has a dance with each of them, she finds herself once again face to face with Paul, and the love they share comes exploding to the surface.The film ends with Lili and Paul in a passionate embrace, and the puppets, looking on, applauding wildly.This is without a doubt the most enchanting movie to come out of Hollywood since THE WIZARD OF OZ.
It's really a shame, as the wonderful moments are so enchanting and I really wanted to love this film--instead, it's good but not great.Leslie Caron plays the title character, a sweet but rather simple-minded young lady.
In the end, it's up to Lili to either stay away or go back to this weasel who loves her but mistreats her badly.Throughout the film, there are lengthy interludes that involve surrealistic dream sequences--complete with singing and dancing.
Kudos also to Mel Ferrer as the puppeteer who could only express his love to Lili through his characters.
At first, Lili ignores him and he expresses his true desire for her through the puppets.I will say that the ending dance sequence was memorable, but the film itself is routine with a really unremarkable Caron displaying innocent saccharine like tendencies..
Lili Daurier (Caron in an Oscar-nominated performance), sixteen and with no one in the world since the recent death of her father, comes to town as the same time as a traveling carnival.
It is Carrot Top, one of four puppets manned by Paul Barthalet (Mel Ferrer), a former dancer who is lame from an injury suffered during the war.The innocent Lili falls in love with the puppets, not quite aware that she is falling for the man behind them.The song "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" is a theme woven throughout the film.
And the puppeteer is so angry at her that he slaps her.The rest of the film consists of a dance sequence between Lili and the puppets, grown to adult size and danced by graceful dancers in costumes, and each of the characters morphs into Paul.
The cast also includes Mel Ferrer, Jean Pierre Aumont, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and Kurt Kasznar (among others), and four puppets (given life and voices ostensibly from Ferrer, and Kasznar).Lili Daurier (Caron) is a sweet, innocent recently orphaned (when her father died) French girl of sixteen who's traveled to a coastal town in hopes of finding work, and a home, with a baker friend of her deceased father.
I have in me all these things.But remembering his slap, Lili leaves anyway only to return (after another imagined sequence in which the puppets are people-size, each dancing with her before one-by-one they become Paul and walk back towards where she's been) to Paul in the end..