Premiere Magazine rated the VHS remastered copy a 'must', Toronto Sun headed their review 'A Star! Reborn'; this is a far cry from the unwarranted savaging the movie was subjected to in 1969 - followed by Darling Lili, these films temporarily set back Ms Andrews' career. Star! is a brilliant musical extravaganza, with great staging of varied musical numbers (from Vaudeville, to music hall, to the early musical). Julie Andrews and Daniel Massey perform well together; there is a brilliant extract from Private Lives which shows the extent of the British Chamberlain's censorship powers, superbly acted. Julie Andrews is in top form - from the rousing 'Picadilly', to the choreographed (and very moving) 'Limehouse Blues', to the over-the-top but effective 'Jenny' from Lady in the Dark. Star! was seen as Fox's Edsel, yet this film cannot be single-handedly blamed from draining the studio financially - equally dismal movies which lost money for Fox include Dr Dolittle and Hello Dolly! Yet Star! was subject to incredible and disproportionate reviling from many critics. The movie deserved a far fairer fate - okay, Julie Andrews is paired with Michael Craig and Richard Crenna (who cannot match her luminous appeal nor provide a 'spark'). The script stinks - it is absolutely apalling - torturous in the extreme. But, Michael Kidd's choreography is exquisite and Julie Andrews gives amazing performances - from the lyrical, understated 'Someone to watch over me', where a full orchestra supplements her crystal-clear vocals to the tongue-in-cheek 'The Physician' from Nymph Errant. Costumes are great, and the attention to the historical period and milieu are there. As in Victor/Victoria and Duet for One, Julie Andrews shows her superiority to the scripting - she transcends bad scripting to show her acting ability. Purists argued that she was NOT Gertrude Lawrence - but neither was she Julie Andrews playing Julie Andrews. There is something radiant and complex about her portrayal of a star; while Daniel Massey was honoured with an Oscar nomination for the portrayal of his godfather (Noel Coward) and portrayed him well, it seems that too many critics were busy dissing Ms Andrews to see her performance as the carefully sculpted and meticulously built one it was. Her performance has depth, as she moves from the early Gertie to the more mature Gertrude Lawrence. The script sags, but this film is worth viewing - it is a must for any musical lover. See it.
