Lili is a film that charms. Leslie Caron, plays Lili Daurier, an orphaned teenage girl. She is looking for work, in a small French village. She finds work as a waitress, but loses the job. She is sad, but is cheered up by puppets, who accompany her in a song. The song is Hi Lili, Hi Lo. It is a charming song, and is used in various parts of the movie. She is offered a job working with the puppets, at the carnival.They are operated by Paul Berthalet, (Mel Ferrer). It would seem that Paul would be happy. He is not. He was a successful dancer, until a war injury ended that. He has a limp, and a disdain for most people.
Paul Berthalet’s dour personality changes, when Lili comes into his life. He falls hard for her. Lili has fallen for a charming magician, Marc, (Jean-Pierre Aumont). It is however, a one sided attraction. Marc has a lovely assistant, Rosalie, (Zsa Zsa Gabor.) Rosalie is not only Marc’s assistant, but his wife. This is upsetting but then she is devastated. Marc’s magic act, has been seen, by top entertainment people. He has been offered a job, and accepts. This means he leaves the carnival, and Lili, will never see him. Lili, who is heartbroken, leave the circus. In the meantime, Paul has also been given an offer for bigger things. The catch is, that Lili must be part of the act. This leave Paul heartbroken: he can’t advance his career, and the woman he loves is gone.
Lili is on her way down the road. She is having a fantasy with the puppets traveling with her. All of them try to comfort her. They are all there, except for the puppet that represents Paul; he is absent. Lily, although missing Marc, realizes leaving isn’t the answer. She turns and goes back, into the waiting arms of Paul.
There are many stories of unreturned love. There are also tragic romances. Lili is an example of love blooming. Paul although bitter at his lot in life, is able to find happiness. Lili is a teenager who should be bitter but is not. She finds a simple happiness in carnival life, and working with the puppets. The story is simply that eventually people can find true happiness.
Lili is entertaining with the puppets, and the ballet sequence. The puppets represent Paul’s personality-nice and introverted. The wolf puppet becomes what Paul would like to be-able to freely speak his feelings. The ballet sequence with Marc, Lili and Rosalie, is Lili’s way of trying to top Rosalie and impress Marc. Lili not only entertains, with the very charming Leslie Caron, but manages to get a little deeper. It shows psychological profiles of Paul, Lili and Marc. This makes this movie deeper than a film of this sort. It succeeds and is very watchable.