Easily one of the greatest musicals ever made, and by far Julie Andrews best performance (although I have really enjoyed her other movies), Victor/Victoria centers around the character of young Victoria Grant, a poverty stricken singer trying to make it in 1930's Paris.Carole Todd meanwhile, is an aging gay cabaret performer who, after a disturbance, gets fired from his job at the Chez Louis, and is sitting at a restaurant drinking coffee when he meets Victoria, who is determined to get a decent meal...even if it means rotting in jail for being unable to pay her bill.These two down on their luck entertainers, finding they have a lot in common, quickly develop a friendship, and Todd (Robert Preston), who's financial situation is almost as bad as Victoria's gets an inspiration:To pass Victoria off as Count Grazinski, the world's greatest female impersonator.As he himself puts it:"With your voice, and my connections, you will be the toast of Paris, and we will both be very rich."With the help of prestigious agent Andre Cassel (John Rhys-Davies), the plan takes off like a rocket, and soon Todd's prediction comes true.But when handsome, dashing, business tycoon King Marchan (James Garner) visits Paris in the company of his girlfriend Norma (Lesley Ann Warren), and his bodyguard 'Squash' Bernstein (Alex Karras), and falls in love with Victoria in spite of the fact that he thinks she's a man, things begin to get complicated.The entire cast is great in this movie, the music and the script are outstanding, and the last scene is one the greatest in the history of musical comedies.A real triumph by director Blake Edwards.Originally, Review #134Posted On: October 8, 2011.

Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews had been married for several years by the time that they made "Victor Victoria". It's entertaining enough. I especially liked the scenes in the hotel rooms, as well as Lesley Ann Warren's exaggerated performance as James Garner's moll.Being the sort of person that I am, what most caught my eye was the cast. Julie Andrews is of course best known as Mary Poppins, and Robert Preston is best known as the Music Man. But aside from those two and Garner - best known as Maverick - there's also Alex Karras (Mongo in "Blazing Saddles") and John Rhys-Davies (Sallah in the Indiana Jones movies and Gimli in the Lord of the Rings franchise). And all of this is under the direction of the man who gave us Inspector Clouseau!The movie is good for the stage performances. The funnier gender-bending movie from 1982 was "Tootsie", which had essentially the reverse plot. Still, this one's worth seeing. As to the issue of whether or not it stereotypes gays, it's hard to say.Mongo only pawn in game of life!

A female singer is struggling to find work. She hits on the plan of impersonating a male singer. While this might be good for her professionally, it complicates her personal life.Good, but not great. The problem is that director Blake Edwards can't commit to whether this is a comedy or a drama, so hedges his bets. The comedy mostly consists of one-liners, and in some ways diminishes the point the drama could have made. The drama had heaps of potential: the search for sexual identity, gay rights, women's rights, but it all seems skirted over. However, in the 80s these were quite topical, and issues worth raising.Still, reasonably entertaining and Julie Andrews gives a superb performance in the lead role.

Victor/Victoria is a reasonably entertaining film that unfortunately lacks pacing and originality, and preaches to the audience. The cast all have their moments with Warren and Preston being standouts. And like Blake Edwards' The Great Race (1965) it relies too heavily on over-extended slapstick with everything in sight being smashed which becomes tiresome and repetitive. The sets remain sets, and all of the actors except for Andrews are and remain American. Europe in the 30s is not convincingly evoked. The film is too talky and does come off as homosexual propaganda with Andrews lecturing James Garner as well as the audience. Overall, the film feels more like a comedy from the early 60s which was the most prolific period for Edwards, Andrews and Garner. The musical numbers are fine and there is fun to be had, but it's somewhat overrated, overlong and rather forgettable. The film became a Broadway musical directed by Edwards and starring Andrews and it worked better on stage than it does on film.