So, other than the fact that most of Audrey's songs are dubbed, what was wrong with her performance in this film?
I really felt that Audrey brought a daintiness, a delicacy and fragility to the role. She was playing this really dainty, delicate flower girl. I think it really worked.
As much as I love Julie Andrews, I can't imagine her being dainty and delicate like Audrey Hepburn. She is too prim and proper and matronly.
I'm not going to say anything negative about her in this since I guess I have and some people really liked her in this, BUT since you've gone and called Julie Andrews "matronly" I would just point out that Audrey Hepburn was 34 during the filming in 1963. Julie Andrews would have been 28 during the filming and I don't think she seems a bit "prim, proper or matronly" here (not sure of the date when this version of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" was filmed, sometime between 1956 and 1961) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA7sidgFGHU Julie Andrews would have brought something different to it as an actress, but being able to sing it, would have been huge.
Here's the movie version, with Marnie Nixon's voice. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5fW7sERw7I.
Here's the movie version with Audrey Hepburn's voice http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q671QIDeH-U. (poor thing, she sings like me. Seems like the last bit of it was dubbed)
Somebody did a great job matching Julie Andrews voice to Audrey Hepburn's performance of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-2CnRuk6Nk I even think Julie Andrews voice was better for this than Marnie Nixon who was a trained opera singer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marni_Nixon.
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Actually, I thought Audrey only LOOKED dainty in this role. She's actually pretty grim and fiery at times in this film. Particularly in her early cockney scenes and later when she confronts Higgins after the ball. Her acting is pretty different from what she offered before and after this movie.
Julie's a bit different. I think she looks and sounds more solid and confident. She can do a better cockney and she's obviously a professional singer. True, I don't consider her particularly dainty or delicate, but she's charming in her own way. I think Julie probably would have made a better flower girl, but Audrey was the epitome of delicacy as the lady.