On this day 24 years ago, the world lost an icon. Audrey Hepburn is undoubtedly one of the most famous actresses who ever lived; she has grace, style, beauty and charisma, unmatched by anyone else. She was the definition of an icon, and an inspiration to the world. To pay tribute to her on the anniversary of her passing, I’m going to take a look at three of her films. Of course, there were many, including the Billy Wilder classic Sabrina and the Oscar winning Roman Holiday, and I’ve already reviews the 1966 classic Two for the Road, but today I’m looking at two other films that struck a chord with me the most. In this piece, let’s take a look at 50’s musical Funny Face.

Fashion photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire), in search for an intellectual backdrop for an air-headed model, appropriates a Greenwich Village bookstore. When the photo session is over the store is left in a shambles, much to salesgirl Jo Stockton’s (Audrey Hepburn) dismay. Avery stays behind to help her clean up. Later, he examines the photos taken there and sees Jo in the background of one shot. He is intrigued by her unique appearance, as is Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson), the editor of a leading fashion magazine. They offer Jo a modelling contract, which she reluctantly accepts only because it includes a trip to Paris. Eventually, her snobbish attitude toward the job softens, and Jo begins to enjoy the work and the company of her handsome photographer.

Musicals have been on the mind lately, what with the release of the stunning La La Land, so now seems a very appropriate time to visit this delightful film. Admittedly, it starts off a little iffy; its gender politics are a little questionable, with Avery planting a kiss on Jo that she did not ask ask for nor invite, seeming pretty proud of himself, which then leads into a song about how she no longer swears off men after this one kiss. I got kind of worried after that, but luckily, the film doesn’t have anything quite that bad for the rest of it. No, the rest of it is in fact quite delightful. Hepburn, Astaire and Thompson are all stunning as the leads, most notably Hepburn who plays one of her most interesting characters in this film. Whilst she maintains that grace and charm that she always had, she also manages to be kind of a goofball at times, and it’s such a delight to watch. She’s so absorbing in this film, and it wouldn’t be the same without her.

Now we can’t talk about a musical without talking about the music, which is top notch. Memorable? Not quite. It’s not a soundtrack that would easily get stuck in your head, but as far as the film is concerned, it works very well. There’s plenty of big fun numbers as well as some quieter tunes, all of which add to the ultimately satisfying feel good nature of the film. It’s a very vibrant feature, with plenty of colours and dance numbers that are an absolute ball to witness, and some of it is downright ridiculous to the point of hilarity. There’s a fair few scenarios that are just so funny for how crazy they are, such as Avery and Prescott sneaking into a party in search of Jo, only to then be unexpectedly made to perform a song, and pulling it off with no trouble whatsoever. It’s a film that keeps you with a constant grin.

Perhaps it’s a little hard to take seriously a film that suggests that Audrey Hepburn is charming because she’s weird looking (Like come on, get real), and the characters get off to an iffy start, but Funny Face overall is a completely delightful with exciting, eccentric performance, fun musical numbers, beautiful colours and overall is just a joy to watch.