Pygmalion

Pygmalion is a classic romantic-comedy from 1938, directed by Anthony Asquith and Leslie Howard. The film features a stunning performance by Wendy Hiller as Eliza Doolittle, a cockney flower girl who is taken in hand by a posh linguistics professor named Henry Higgins, played by Leslie Howard.

The movie kicks off with some stunning shots of Covent Garden's flower market, where we're introduced to Eliza, a young, uneducated and very working-class girl selling flowers. She speaks with a heavy cockney accent and has very little regard for proper etiquette or social graces. At the same time, we're introduced to Professor Henry Higgins, a linguistics expert with a keen interest in phonetics, who's walking through the market with his friend, Colonel Pickering. Higgins expresses his disgust at the way Eliza speaks and says that he could transform her into a refined lady just by changing her accent.

Eliza overheard Higgins and Pickering, and she is instantly enamored of Higgins' high status and sophisticated mannerisms. She decides to ask him for lessons in how to speak like a lady. Higgins, at first, is amused by the request and only sees Eliza as a linguistic experiment. But he soon warms up to the idea, especially after Pickering makes a bet with him that he can't turn Eliza into a refined lady in just six months.

As Higgins begins working on Eliza's accent, teaching her how to speak properly and training her to act like a refined lady, he starts to see her as more than just an experiment. Eliza, too, starts to grow more comfortable and confident with her new persona, and she begins to fall in love with Higgins.

The story takes us through Eliza's transformation from a common flower girl into an elegant and refined lady, and the challenges she faces along the way – from struggling with the right pronunciation to learning how to walk and dance with grace. As Eliza and Higgins work tirelessly towards the goal of making her a well-spoken and elegant woman, their relationship grows more complicated.

The movie is shot beautifully, and the performances are simply brilliant. Wendy Hiller delivers a fantastic performance as Eliza, bringing the character to life with humor, charm, and wit. Her transformation from the scruffy, uneducated flower seller to the elegant, refined lady is a joy to watch. Leslie Howard, too, is excellent as Professor Higgins; he plays the character with the perfect amount of snobbery and condescension while still being likable.

Overall, Pygmalion is a lighthearted, witty and thoroughly enjoyable movie that will have you smiling from beginning to end. It's a sophisticated comedy with a social message that is still relevant today. The themes of class, ambition, and power are explored through the relationship between Eliza and Higgins, and it makes for a compelling watch. This movie has stood the test of time, and it remains a classic, must-watch film.