The Rom Com Catalog

Tag: Dana Ivey

  • ‘Sabrina’ (1995) Review

    ‘Sabrina’ (1995) Review

    Sabrina Synopsis: An ugly duckling having undergone a remarkable change, still harbors feelings for her crush: a carefree playboy, but not before his business-focused brother has something to say about it.

    Shy, mousy Sabrina is the daughter of the chauffeur to the wealthy Larrabee family. She’s grown up around the family, harboring unrequited love for the youngest Larrabee son, David, who is an irresponsible playboy. After moving to Paris for two years for a Vogue internship, Sabrina returns home wholly transformed and finally catches David’s eye. The problem? David is engaged, and his older brother Linus has no intention of letting Sabrina ruin the impending wedding, especially as a profitable merger depends on the marriage. 

    This is a remake of Billy Wilder’s 1954 film of the same name. That film starred Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, and I had intended to watch it first before watching and reviewing this version. Alas, the 1954’s Sabrina was not on any of my streaming sites (for free), so I opted to watch this first. I certainly don’t regret it because I really enjoyed this Sabrina. I went into it not knowing the story at all because of what I very vaguely remembered of the trailer when it came out in 1995.

    I do enjoy love triangles when they’re done right. So often, it’s very obvious who is the wrong suitor, and the trick to making an intriguing love triangle is making both men/women right for the lead in some way or another. And yes, maybe it’s quite apparent who Sabrina should end up with here, but I felt the writers did a good job giving David some depth and personality rather than making him the bland option. It’s essential to see why Sabrina has pined after him for so long, especially given how down-to-earth and intelligent she is. Making her fall in love with a cad would have felt somewhat disingenuous.

    I don’t recall seeing Julia Ormond in much, though I remember her role in Legends of the Fall. Obviously, I cannot compare her performance to Hepburn’s, but I thought she was very lovely in this movie. Soft-spoken and likable, easily going toe to toe with a powerhouse like Harrison Ford. Ford and Greg Kinnear are also delightful as the stoic, emotionally withdrawn older brother, Linus, and the playboy, David. They had great chemistry, making it entirely believable that they could be brothers.

    Sabrina’s journey in Paris was one of my favorite parts of the movie. It’s odd because whenever someone asks where I would go if I could go anywhere, my first choice is generally Ireland or Italy. But I have such a soft spot for Paris, especially when it comes to romantic movies. It’s called the City of Love for a reason. There are a lot of beautiful shots of the city, but the Larrabee mansion is also a character all of its own.

    The opening credits take you on a tour of the entire house, which I learned is called Salutations House, located on a private island just off of Long Island. It was built in 1920 and is 27,000 square feet… it was up for sale in 2017 (a cool $125 million price tag), but I didn’t check to see who might have purchased it. The house provides a truly romantic landscape to the story, almost as romantic, if not more so, than Paris.

    The movie was very charming. While it’s a modern remake, it still pays homage to Old Hollywood romances with a sweeping score and overly dramatic, passionate embrace. I think Sabrina is an enjoyable watch and recommend it for a rainy, lazy day. It’s pure romance with just enough drama and angst to make it interesting. Plus, Harrison Ford’s dry wit elevates the comedy, and I find myself really becoming a bigger fan of his work beyond Han Solo and Indy.

    Watched: 03/15/2021
    Notable Song: Moonlight by Sting

    Rating:
  • ‘Two Weeks Notice’ (2002) Review

    ‘Two Weeks Notice’ (2002) Review

    Lucy Kelson (Sandra Bullock) is an eco-friendly, idealistic lawyer who is heavily involved in social activism. She frequently protests the demolition of older buildings in New York City, and her latest cause is the Coney Island Community Center, where handsome billionaire George Wade (Hugh Grant) plans to build high-end condos. When she confronts him about saving the community center, Wade is impressed by her and offers her a job as in-house counsel of the Wade Corporation.

    It seems he has gone through quite a long list of them, having hired only beautiful but not precisely qualified candidates who were eventually fired by his brother, the company’s owner. But Lucy is skilled, and George promises that they will keep the community center if she takes the job. Lucy is initially reluctant but realizes how much good she can do for the community with the resources at her disposal.

    Over the next year, Lucy finds herself becoming George’s decision-maker and confidante, always at his beck and call at any hour of the day or night. George has lost all sense of boundaries, assuming he ever had any, and he has come to depend solely on Lucy for everything from what kind of envelopes to use for his correspondence to what color tie he should wear for a television appearance. This is understandably frustrating for Lucy, who feels she’s not living up to her potential.

    When George’s superficial “emergency” pulls Lucy out of her best friend’s wedding, Lucy decides she’s finally had enough and gives George her two weeks’ notice. She promises to stay on to find his replacement, but then she’ll move on to something new.

    Two Weeks Notice tells a story that has been told a thousand times over. The opposites-attract love story finds the intelligent, serious heroine falling for the wealthy, shallow man-child and vice versa. She needs to learn to let loose and enjoy life; he needs to learn to grow up and be the man she knows he can be. I’m not sure how well the movie would work without the talents of Bullock and Grant.

    The beginning of Lucy and George’s work relationship feels rushed. She gets hired, and then we skip ahead from two weeks to six months to show the evolution of how deeply George has come to depend on Lucy, much to her apparent exasperation. The movie is called Two Weeks Notice, so yes, most of it takes place in those two weeks before Lucy hands over the reins to her replacement, June (Alicia Witt). Lucy feels some apprehension, given that June is young and beautiful and quite obviously interested in George in a way that’s not entirely professional. This seems to spark Lucy’s realization that she may also have deeper feelings for George.

    Excluding June, the supporting players feel a bit underused. David Haig is delightful as George’s older brother, Howard. Still, Heather Burns and Dorian Missick feel like the cardboard cutouts of the two leads’ best friends, only there to drop a joke or a quick piece of advice. I also wanted to see more of the fantastic Dana Ivey and Robert Klein as Lucy’s parents. There’s also a pointless cameo by Donald Trump, who allowed the filmmakers to use one of his houses as Howard’s home (also f*ck DT). I suppose the cameo made more sense after I remembered that he insisted on having a part written for him in films that use his properties. Still, it felt unnecessary and out of place.

    Two Weeks Notice is predictable fluff, but Grant and Bullock deliver enough humor and chemistry to make it worthwhile predictable fluff. I’m a sucker for the grand gesture scene, and Two Weeks Notice has one of my favorites. Ultimately, though, I can’t help but feel this could have been a great romantic comedy with a slightly better script, rather than just a good one.

    Watched: 07/22/2019
    Notable Song: Big Yellow Taxi by The Counting Crows

    Rating: