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#322 - Meet Me in St. Louis
Vincente Minnelli, 1944
Centres on a middle-class American family at the turn of the century.
Despite its status as a classic Hollywood musical, Meet Me in St. Louis is about as boring and forgettable as any such purported classic could possibly be. Sure, I took Seven Brides for Seven Brothers to task for its horribly outdated take on sexual politics but I was at least willing to admit that it had its entertaining moments here and there (often through some decently-choreographed dance numbers). No such luck with Meet Me in St. Louis, which does tend to be more about songs than dances and thus isn't all that visually compelling (or generally compelling) as a result. Its tale of the various sundry problems that are encountered by the members of a blandly middle-class family could be read as either a vapid celebration of the all-American family and their suburban lifestyles or a subtle critique of the same; I'm obviously inclined to lean towards the latter, if only because it makes sitting through this a bit more tolerable (and would certainly lend an extra edge to what is already a rather disturbing sequence that takes place on Halloween).
That being said, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is a decent little number and the only one I remember with any degree of favourability. I can take or leave Judy Garland's performing ability, but I struggle to care about any of this melodramatic claptrap whether it's being said or sung. It goes through a lot of the usual motions for a Golden Age musical without providing any remotely interesting variations, plunging through some boring romantic sub-plots and family strife between numbers. Not even the Technicolor flair behind the camera is enough to save this extremely forgettable movie.
Vincente Minnelli, 1944
Centres on a middle-class American family at the turn of the century.
Despite its status as a classic Hollywood musical, Meet Me in St. Louis is about as boring and forgettable as any such purported classic could possibly be. Sure, I took Seven Brides for Seven Brothers to task for its horribly outdated take on sexual politics but I was at least willing to admit that it had its entertaining moments here and there (often through some decently-choreographed dance numbers). No such luck with Meet Me in St. Louis, which does tend to be more about songs than dances and thus isn't all that visually compelling (or generally compelling) as a result. Its tale of the various sundry problems that are encountered by the members of a blandly middle-class family could be read as either a vapid celebration of the all-American family and their suburban lifestyles or a subtle critique of the same; I'm obviously inclined to lean towards the latter, if only because it makes sitting through this a bit more tolerable (and would certainly lend an extra edge to what is already a rather disturbing sequence that takes place on Halloween).
That being said, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" is a decent little number and the only one I remember with any degree of favourability. I can take or leave Judy Garland's performing ability, but I struggle to care about any of this melodramatic claptrap whether it's being said or sung. It goes through a lot of the usual motions for a Golden Age musical without providing any remotely interesting variations, plunging through some boring romantic sub-plots and family strife between numbers. Not even the Technicolor flair behind the camera is enough to save this extremely forgettable movie.