Rating: 
Summary: An MGM masterpiece of the best quality
Review: This colorful, fanciful film added a splash of zestful excitement and entertainment to audiences of 1951, in the year of "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "A Place In The Sun". The MGM musicals don't get any better than this one because it's got everything: romance, excitement, music, song, dance, and thrills. Vincente Minnelli's expert direction and cinematography captures some of the most enchanting sights of post-WWII Paris, as seen through the eyes of a light-hearted painter (Gene Kelly, whose indescribably brilliant choreography for this film won him a special Oscar). Accidentally meeting up with a young French girl (Leslie Caron, in her film debut), he is immediately smitten and courts her... though she is secretly engaged to another man (Georges Guetary). Kelly also manages to get himself tangled with a wealthy heiress (Nina Foch) who tries to bring his work to the attention of Paris' art critics. In the background, Oscar Levant's acid wit shines as Kelly's pianist friend. Any scene in the film is worth seeing the whole film: Kelly's charming take on "I Got Rhythm", teaching the song to a group of French youngsters, Kelly's achingly romantic wooing of Caron "Our Love Is Here To Stay" by the Seine, or best of all, the incredible 17-minute dream sequence ballet. This marvelous piece of cinematic achievement combines George Gershwin's "American In Paris" symphony along with the great works of Paris's greatest artists as backgrounds, sparking the most innovative dance number of all time, and perhaps best represents the MGM musical. This masterpiece should be enjoyed by every generation.
Rating: 
Summary: The Worst Cinematic Experience
Review: I cannot begin to describe how much I despise and loathe this film. I am convinced that watching this film has taken years off my life. I have lost sleep contemplating the depths of this film's poor quality. I would think that the extremely talented Gene Kelly would not have even wanted to be associated with the same studio that produced this film, let alone star in it. What astounds me even more is that those who have seen it do not scorn this film, instead they actually praise it and have the audacity to call it a classic and a masterpiece. I am truly appalled by anyone who likes this film. It's not even that I do not care for musicals, Singin' in the Rain is my favorite film of any genre. If you have not seen this film, or only have vague recollections of the ballet sequence, it is not to late to save yourself from the worst cinematic experience one could have.
Rating:
Summary: A viewer in Hell
Review: I am a great fan of Gene Kelly, however this is the worst movie I have ever seen, and I have painfully sat through Earnest Goes to Camp. The script is horrendous, and Gene Kelly's character is repulsive, chauvinistic, and blatantly impertinent . In the movie he tells Leslie Caron's character "With a binding like yours people are going to want to know what's in the cover." The famous ballet sequence is remarkable but it is too little too late to save this pointless and obnoxious movie.
Rating:
Summary: Fantasy Love Story With Memorable Song and Dance
Review: American In Paris is considered foremost a leading song/dance movie with a love story. In reality, its appeal is the fantasy love story that it provided the middle class post World War 2. Still too poor to travel to exotic places like Paris and concerns over the economy reverting to a depression, almost every male and female wished they were living in a fantastic place like Paris without cares, and falling in love.Of course, the fantastic music "I Got Rythm" and "Our Love is Here to Stay" along with the dreamy dance scenes, especially by the river set just the right mood. Gene uses his feet to paint energetic yet graceful dance numbers. AAIP falls short in some areas, but they are forgiveable. Leslie Caron has little life and one wonders why a great looking guy like Gene Kelly, who could pick any girl, is smitten by her.(By the way, today Gene would be living with a girl, as a 6 years in Paris,a painter, no broken girl relationship....hm?) She brings little to the table other than a good dancing partner. Second, and this is going to be shocking and anti-femminist, Nina Foch plays the heavy, yet in today's age she would be considered as a more realistic women. Yes, she schemes her companions, but she has the looks, the gestures, and the plot to try to attract a man, even if she is later dumped. So what, she at least tries and exits gracefully. Caron is too much of a Zombie to fall into love. She perhaps represents the passive, obedient, under your thumb women of the 50s. Ouch! Enough philosophy, Oscar Levant adds the reality and jest and his dream of conducting an orchestra again represents the fanatasy dreams of aspiring in great places. By the late 50s this mood ended as the nation aspired to more cerebral levels, such as freedom of speech and equality for the sexes and races. Enjoy this fantasy masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Scenes de Ballet
Review: Besides the wonderful dance numbers such as "I Got Rhythm" and "Our Love Is Here to Stay," this film contains arguably the greatest ballet sequence in any classic American musical. (The Red Shoes, remember is an English film.) Some other Amazon.com reviewers have found it overdone, too long, etc. I disagree. Twenty minutes is not all that long for a ballet that is intended to be a marvelous climax to what is a fanciful Hollywood musical---not a semi-realistic, hard-edged musical such as West Side Story or Cabaret. And it works perfectly. Each scene in the ballet takes up themes from the film in beautiful dreamlike symbolism. The dancing in and on the fountain is the epitome of romantic movement. And the Toulouse-Lautrec sequence is a terrific translation of Lautrec's paintings into a dance sequence. I have watched this ballet many times and always look forward to seeing and hearing it again. Overdone? Overwhelming? Absolutely not. It's a culmination of everything that MGM knew about filming song and dance, a tribute to a golden age in American movies. Would that anything so rich and beautiful could be found in today's films.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Charming, Colorful MGM Magic
Review: It has an excellent, old-fashioned premise, with a slight twist which lands Gene Kelly as a starving artist in Paris. As in many of Kelly's musicals, Kelly wins over a girl through his charming arrogance, running into eventual complications (in this case, the girl's marriage and his patron's feelings for him that go beyond his paintings). The movie is all fun, with spontaneous dancing and singing that makes itself a grand old time at the movies. Some of my favorite scenes are in this film, including "I Got Rhythm" and "Tra-la-la", so why would I give it a mere 4 stars out of 5? Well, for one thing, the movie does fall apart in the last two scenes: it never really ends completely. The "American in Paris" number at the end does sum up the whole movie and does look at the character's dilemma over losing the girl to her fiancé, but it was a bit too nightmarish and too strange for an otherwise lightweight movie (very Carousel). The other surreal interruptions I did enjoy, such as the one where the pianist sees himself playing all of the instruments in the orchestra, but this one comes too little and too late. The bittersweet happy ending which follows it is also very 'tacked-on'. However, this minor disappointment in no way makes this movie a '4' in my mind. It is the only-mediocre (sometimes less than that) picture quality of this DVD that brought it down. If you do not mind this, do buy it for the great numbers and amount of fun that comes with it.
Rating: 
Summary: An American in America
Review: I have a copy on laser which is quite good, but just for the record, the film was done on the MGM lot, not in Paris as Kelly wanted and would have made the "Paris locales" much more interesting. I do agree with the reviews that the ballet is overly long and overdone.
Rating:
Summary: ONE GREAT AMERICAN MOVIE
Review: Gene Kelly had been a Hollywood star for almost ten years when he made this film, but his best work was just starting. "An American in Paris" was a huge success upon initial release in 1951, winning six oscars, and a rating as one of the best musicals of all time. It is still every bit as delightful today. That chemistry between Kelly and Leslie Caron is still existant when they dance or act together, like in "Our Love is Here to Stay". The wit of Oscar Levent is still every bit as hysterical. The glory of George Gershwin's beautiful music still fills a true music lovers soul with joy, especially in the thrilling (though slightly overdone) 20 minute ballet at the film's conclusion. The breathtaking locales in Paris are simply stunning for the eye to behold. To top it off, where else are you going to go to see Kelly dance and converse with cute French kids to the music of "I've Got Rythem"? While this film can't compare to Kelly's massive triumph of the next year, "Singin' in the Rain",it's still amazing. Stop reading this: GO GET IT!
Rating:
Summary: One of the most enjoyable musicals I have seen.
Review: I was never a huge musical fan, but this movie changed my mind. It has everything- light heartedness, sadness, a sweet and simple love story. I found the ballet a little overwhelming, but interesting both as a dance, and as an imaginative use of French painters' work. Each section of the ballet is in the style of a different painter: Dufy, Renoir, Lautrec, Van Gogh, etc., choreographed by Kelly, who does an incredible job. The movie has something that makes you able to watch it again and again--if only for the exuberance of I Got Rhythm and 'SWonderful.
Rating:
Summary: One Of Gene Kelly's Best Performances!!!!
Review: There is no way to describe the feelings of warmth and happiness whenever I watch one of Gene Kelly's movies. He was without a doubt the #1 dancer of his time. Not only can he dance, but he is also outstanding in his acting abilities. I only wish I had a chance to meet him. I someday want to own his entire collection of musicals to pass down to my two boys. They love to watch him as much as I do. The only musical that beats "An American in Paris" is "Singing in the Rain". I would watch either of these movies over and over again, given any rainy day weekend. If you haven't had the chance to watch it, I highly suggest that you do.
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