To Paris with Love

Alec Guinness starred in an impressive number of very good comedies in the 1950s, and most of these are now sadly quite obscure. The obscurity of Robert Hamer's 'To Paris with Love' *isn't* such a tragedy, however. There are one or two genuinely funny lines in this film, but the laughs are far too infrequent to justify watching it, even in light of its rather forgiving 78 minute runtime. The performances are not too bad and Guinness's is predictably solid, but when the film's problems are situated in the writing and directing even a legion of A-listers would probably fail to elevate it out of mediocrity. To the fans of 'Kind Hearts and Coronets' who've found their way to this later pairing of Hamer and Guinness: don't get your hopes up.

I missed the opening credits of To Paris with Love, and for the first ten minutes, I thought David Niven was starring in the film. Then, David Niven took off his hat and lacked his usual curls. It was Alec Guinness! Remember the David Niven impersonation he gave in The Bridge on the River Kwai? It was a very good impersonation, complete with a little bounce in his chair after thumping his arm down on the table. This movie was his audition for that impersonation; I'm not trying to be unkind or diminish Alec's talent. I happen to love David Niven! And to see either one of them in a love story is always a treat. I've since gone back to watch the beginning and was treated to the hilarious lyrics of "A Bachelor Gay Am I" to set the tone.

In this unconventional comedy, Alec and his grown son, Vernon Gray, travel on vacation to Paris. Alec thinks his son is immature and needs to grow up and learn about the ways of the world. Vernon thinks his dad is a stuffed shirt and needs to let his hair down. They both think the answer to the other's problem is a love affair, and they go about setting each other up with women. However, the matchmaking goes awry when they each fall for the lady they'd picked out for the other. While Alec experiences a takes the December role with the young Odile Versois, Vernon experiences the May role with the older Elina Labourdette.

I loved the premise of this movie, and the romantic scenes the usually unromantic Alec got to act in were worth it, but this isn't my favorite May-December movie. The tone of To Paris with Love is all very light and doesn't allow the audience to invest into either of their relationships. It's far more of a whimsical vacation movie than a romance. There was one very amusing scene, in which Alec takes Odile to dinner and they watch an unusual onstage performance. Only a top hat and a feather boa are seen, and while they perform the visual act of courtship, the puppeteers only speak one word apiece: "John" and "Martha". Using varying tones, they convey a host of meaning - until the meaning gets extremely clear. Alec and Odile clearly grow closer as they listen to the noises, and in the "afterglow", he bestows to her a present of beautiful earrings. How did they get that scene past the censors? Don't get your hopes up, though. That was only one scene, and the rest of the movie is different.

Ealing Studio's output deteriorated noticeably when in the 1950s they increasingly worked in colour. Similarly the modesty that characterised Hamer's films at Ealing is here notable for its absence; especially as Alec Guinness isn't exactly obvious casting as a romantic lead.

Which accounts for why this rather trivial romantic comedy - despite the use of Parisian locations - provides further evidence that during the fifties a director was likely to make his least interesting work in colour.

Paris - Alec Guinness - color - one might think that would be enough, but alas, it isn't. "To Paris, With Love" is a 1955 Rank film about a father and son (Guinness as Col. Fraser and Vernon Gray as John Fraser) going to Paris in order to matchmake for one another. Plus, Col. Fraser wants more time with his son.

They meet women, all right, but it seems that Col. Fraser is attracted to a young woman closer to John's age, and vice versa. A widower, he wasn't necessarily looking for love, either, but his quiet lifestyle bothers his son. "At 42," the Colonel says, "one has a few good years left." The perception of age has really changed.

Unfortunately for all parties, the film moves like lead and is about as dull as a movie can get, except for the beautiful shots of Paris. Alec Guinness is marvelous but wasted. There is one very funny scene at the door of their hotel room, but it's not enough.

Very hard to concentrate and stay interested in this film.

I love Alec Guinness. And that's saying a lot after this film. Actually, he is not bad in it. He just seems to stand aside, be urbane and his usual delightful self, but invest nada. It is obvious the girl he is matched with is a featherweight, even as an inexperienced young French girl. Sir Alec wouldn't have chosen her when he was young and very obviously isn't too happy about it now.

The interesting character is the brooding brother of the odd "Suzanne", another twit. "Donald" aspires to be a French Heathcliffe and I waited in vain for the source of his mystery. What deep dark secret was he hiding behind that forehead? Was he in love with the father's mistress? Why did he jerk Suzanne's hair when she plotted to bring the disparate parts of this turkey together on the country estate? Or perhaps he had simply had enough of her obnoxious acting.

The film would have been charming with Guiness and the "older woman" reminiscing and seeing Paris together. THAT would have been a great story! Two lovely experienced people in a beautiful city after the destruction of World War II. Why didn't somebody come up with that? I suggest watching Alec Guiness in "The Card", a little known but worthwhile film.