Wilder's Parisian souffle
With two of Hollywood's most glamorous stars, and (despite the silly plot) a sharp and witty script, this film is an evergreen, and one I never tire of watching.
Audrey Hepburn is enchanting as the spunky "Thin Girl", a cello student who falls in love with a millionaire playboy bachelor, played with grace and charm (and quite a bit of humor) by Gary Cooper. Hepburn was 28 at the time, and looked younger, Cooper was 56, and looked perhaps older, but despite the age difference, their chemistry together sparkles and sizzles.
The romantic cat and mouse game played by Hepburn to intrigue and win Cooper's heart is all very innocent and sweet, and I always shed a few tears at the magical ending.
Maurice Chevalier as Hepburn's father, a private detective specializing in matters of love and deception is fabulous, and gets most of the funny lines, and John McGiver, as one of Chevalier's jealous husband clients, is also very amusing.
The b & w cinematography by...
Gary Cooper too old? Blasphemy!
The common criticism of this delightful film is that Gary Cooper, one of the icons of Hollywood, was "too old" to play the lead against the youthful Audrey Hepburn. This is, quite frankly, ludicrous and almost laughable. Though Coop was 56 when the movie was filmed, he was still incredibly handsome, well-preserved, thin and as sexy as he had been in his prime. There isn't a single moment where the viewer would doubt that this man wasn't utterly believable in the role or womanizer and seducer extraodinaire. Audrey Hepburn would have been a fool to turn her nose up at this choice male animal, even if he was 30 years her senior.
Coop and Hepburn's scenes together are all marvelous, especially the famous film-ending train scene, this one still makes one's toes curl, even after 20+ viewings over the years. Maurice Chevalier is also charming in his role as Audrey's father. The music, script and stellar direction by Billy Wilder make this an essential movie to watch, to own, and to...
Romance has a 50/50 Chance in this Classic Four-Pack, Classic Hollywood DVD Set
Turner Classic Movies' classic movie series continues with this two-disc set showcasing four beloved films with romantic themes. Intriguingly, while two movies have the requisite happy ending, the other two close with former lovers resigned to the wisdom gained from relationships that could not endure. All four have been presented in pristine print condition.
Splendor in the Grass (****1/2): Director Elia Kazan was able to extract a searing performance from Natalie Wood in this classic 1961 melodrama about youthful sexual repression in rural 1920's Kansas. She has never been more affecting then she is here as Deanie Loomis, the local butcher's daughter deeply in love with Bud Stamper, the son of an oil scion and the high school football hero. They are the senior sweethearts everyone expects to marry, but both have to battle constantly with their sexual longing and their grasping parents...
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