Leslie Caron appears in a new documentary about her, The Reluctant Star.
Toronto producer Vanessa Dylyn pursued Hollywood legend Leslie Caron for 10 years before the actress agreed to this documentary. It was worth the wait. The French-born Caron headlined a list of iconic musicals as long as her gams, including An American in Paris, Daddy Long Legs and Gigi. The clips and period stills are charming, but the sit-down interviews with Caron – some in her home, some in her films' locations – are the main attraction. At 85, she's every inch the star, with a crackerjack ability to evoke what things felt like, whether it's arriving in Hollywood at 18 with hardly a word of English; dancing with Fred Astaire's hand on her back; or dating Warren Beatty. I wish the filmmakers had pressed her a tad harder – darker subjects, including Caron's substance abuse and her mother's depression, are touched on but glossed over. No mention is made of her first or third marriages, and her daughter is barely acknowledged. The film is clearly a valentine to Caron, but it's a lovely and delicious one. (PG) Johanna Schneller
Johanna Schneller