So my only pre-existing association with this movie was that it was the cornball movie whose song they played over a horrific scene of violence in A Clockwork Orange for dramatic irony. So I assumed it would be all super-cheesy and meh, but in fact: It’s pretty good!

So what’s good about it isn’t mostly the musical bits — some of the dancing is impressive (especially considering that I don’t think they were doing any wire work), but the singing is all stupid and meh, and one big Broadway-style number that’s part of a movie-within-the-movie goes on for waaaaay too long. No, what makes it good is that the dialogue is arch and witty, and the characters likable and funny. The interaction between Gene Kelly’s character and his subtext-only gay partner is really the highlight of the movie.

As to the plot, it turns out this is actually a historical movie in its own right — made in the 1950s, it’s set in the late 1920s, as silent movies transitioned to talkies. Gene Kelly’s character, a silent film star, isn’t able to really make the transition from silent-film mugging to real acting, so instead decides to make a musical. (And his leading lady co-star has a terrible voice, and her career will be ending shortly, but she’s the cartoon villain of the piece, so that’s fine.) In a way, having seen these handfuls of silent films has made this seem almost familiar to me. (And I’ll note that this is yet another movie about movies, which the critics who made this list really do adore.)

Also, true story: Apparently the songs in it are from around that era? Like, the title song is actually not written for the movie, it’s a 1929 pop hit that they turned into a movie 20+ years later. Go figure.

Anyway, I’m still no great fan of musicals, but I will admit that this is a fun little movie that carries itself lightly and is endearingly pleasant. I think calling it the best movie musical of all time is totes plausible, at least until they make a Hamilton movie.