--- title: "An American in Paris: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/an-american-in-paris/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/an-american-in-paris" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # An American in Paris (1951): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 9 reviews: 8 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics are won over, and they are won over by the same things. Gene Kelly’s dancing and choreography draw the warmest praise, with Leslie Caron close behind, and nearly every review singles out the Gershwin score and Minnelli’s Technicolor palette. The closing ballet, running the best part of twenty minutes, is the sequence most often named as the reason to watch. Reviews from 1951 and from decades later land in much the same place. The reservations are nearly as consistent. The plot is called thin, the romance corny, and several critics say it has dated less gracefully than other MGM musicals of the period. The Guardian finds it sugary and theatrical, The AV Club calls its ambitions muddled and a little pretentious, and Time Out notes an uncomfortable age gap in the love triangle. Roger Ebert ranks it below Singin’ in the Rain. Nobody dislikes it; the spread runs from fond to dutiful. ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The film is the archetypal MGM musical, with thin plotting that is outweighed by its Technicolor visuals, George Gershwin's music and Gene Kelly's choreography. It is an extravagant charmer. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/american-paris-review/) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 1951. The lavish musical shines thanks to Gene Kelly, the enchanting Leslie Caron and a spectacular ballet sequence set to Gershwin music. Minnelli's direction and the Technicolor production create genuine romantic magic on screen. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/paris-re.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 August 1951. Metro has another sock boxoffice winner in this imaginative musical confection spotlighting Gene Kelly's dancing and new choreography talents alongside bright newcomers Leslie Caron and Georges Guetary. The title ballet is a masterpiece and the Gershwin score is given boffo treatment throughout. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1951/film/reviews/an-american-in-paris-1200417083/) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. Despite a thin plot, the classic musical has undeniable charm thanks to Gene Kelly's choreography, Alan Jay Lerner's screenplay and the Gershwin score. The 17-minute ballet sequence is a show-stopper, and the cast shines under Minnelli's direction; its seven Oscars were well deserved. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/an-american-in-paris-review-7427349.html) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 4/5. 25 October 2011. The critic praises the film's groundbreaking musical elements, Kelly's grace, Caron's face, Gershwin's score, and Minnelli's color palette, but notes some smugness in early scenes and a creepy age gap in the love triangle. The ballet sequence is highlighted as awe-inspiring yet cool compared to predecessors. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/an-american-in-paris) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating B. 10 September 2008. The film is muddled as an artistic statement and unsatisfying as conventional Hollywood product due to its pretentious ambition and reactionary streak, yet it earns credit for a multivalent meditation on aesthetics and the timeless appeal of its Gershwin songs. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/an-american-in-paris-1798204819) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 October 1992. The restored film is a bright Technicolor musical with inventive dance numbers and Gershwin songs, though its thin story and corny romance make it less satisfying than Singin' in the Rain. The 18-minute ballet finale and Kelly's choreography stand out as highlights. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/an-american-in-paris-1951) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 1951. The film is a thoroughly pleasant musical that trips along to Gershwin tunes with Gene Kelly at his nimblest and most ingratiating. It features handsome ballets against imaginative Parisian backdrops and skips lightly from romance to dance. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1951/10/06/1951-10-06-073-tny-cards-000038308) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2011. The critic finds the 1951 Minnelli musical a little sugary and theatrical, and notes that it has dated less well than other classic Hollywood musicals, though it retains charm and a kind of willed American innocence. The most distinctive elements singled out are Leslie Caron's opening persona montage showcasing her dance moves and the final fantasy ballet sequence. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/oct/27/an-american-in-paris-review) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/an-american-in-paris.md