Tag: Shirley MacLaine

‘The Apartment’ (1960) Review

Potential Spoilers ahead!

I have to admit that while I had obviously heard of The Apartment, I never really knew what it was about. So I went into this viewing blind, so to speak, and I’m so glad I did! The film revolves around Bud Baxter, a mild-mannered clerk at a successful insurance company. Looking to fast-track his climb up the corporate ladder, Bud lends out his bachelor apartment to senior company members as a place to entertain their mistresses. Meanwhile, Bud develops an attraction to the elevator hostess, Fran Kubelik. When it’s revealed that Fran is one of the girls his boss brings to his apartment, Bud faces an unexpected problem.

The Apartment, directed by Billy Wilder, is an absolute classic gem, and it’s easy to see why it remains a beloved favorite among movie lovers. For so long, I’ve only known Jack Lemmon from Grumpy Old Men and Out to Sea, but I’ve come to appreciate many of his earlier films (for example, It Should Happen to You), and I can see why he’s considered an acting legend. As Bud, Lemmon’s comic timing and vulnerability bring depth to the character, making him both relatable and endearing.

And Shirley MacLaine? Wasn’t she a freaking cutie in 1960? Her ability to portray such strength and tenderness in the troubled Fran propels what could have been a mere stereotype into a complex character. She and Lemmon also have undeniable chemistry, and it’s impossible not to root for Bud and Fran to end up together.

I have to say that the supporting cast is terrific as well. Jack Kruschen and Naomi Stevens are the film’s supporting highlights as Dr. and Mrs. Dreyfuss, Bud’s neighbors who help him when he asks, but disapprove of his tawdry lifestyle – they’re unaware that it’s Bud’s superiors coming in and out of his apartment with women throughout the night. Hope Holiday has a hilarious scene-stealing role as Margie MacDougall, a lonely, married woman whom Jack brings home on Christmas Eve.

Fred MacMurray is Mr. Sheldrake, Bud’s boss and Fran’s married paramour. By all accounts, he’s the villain of the film. A serial womanizer, Sheldrake is manipulative. He is dismissive of Fran’s conflicting feelings about their relationship and has the audacity to give her $100 to buy herself a Christmas gift when he forgets to. What a d*ck!

Sheldrake is the best kind of movie villain – just an average man with success and money who believes he’s entitled to whatever he wants while feigning offense if something is asked of him in return. MacMurray has just the right amount of charm to make it believable that Fran would be so enamored with him, yet you still want to shake her for continuing to believe his lies.

Wilder and Diamond’s script is full of sharp dialogue and witty banter, drawing plenty of laughs while still somehow conveying a poignant sadness. With The Apartment, Wilder is pretty clear in its message: the world’s morality is surely deteriorating under the thumb of degenerate men in positions of power. Under Wilder’s direction, the film manages to make even the darkest themes – i.e., adultery and attempted suicide – humorous and, dare I say, entertaining while wrapping it up in the beauty of the Christmas season. It gets the message across without ever feeling immoral or tasteless, and that is the mark of an incredible director. The Apartment is a timeless film and definitely one to watch this time of year.

Watched: 11/23/2024
Notable Song: Jealous Lover by Charles Williams

Rating:

12/14/2024
‘Bewitched’ (2005) Review

Jack Wyatt (Will Ferrell), a Hollywood star recovering from a couple of box office bombs, is talked into starring in a reboot of the 1964 television series Bewitched. Desperate to regain his fame, he insists on hiring an unknown actress to play Samantha so as not to be overshadowed. When he finds Isabel, she seems perfect for the part. Little does he know Isabel is a real witch.

I have not seen this movie since watching it in the theaters in 2005, so I didn’t remember much about it. Written and directed by Nora Ephron, there’s a certain amount of expectation when watching it. This is the woman who wrote When Harry Met Sally, and You’ve Got Mail, after all. Unfortunately, despite its potential, Bewitched doesn’t live up to those expectations.

Nicole Kidman seems to be the obvious choice to replace Elizabeth Montgomery as the witchy Samantha (Isabel). Isabel wants to put her witchy ways behind her, live a normal life, and find love. She seems pretty naïve of the real world, but she’s instantly smitten with Jack and agrees to become the Samantha to his Darrin. Kidman is wide-eyed and breathy, and Will Ferrell is… well, Will Ferrell at the peak of his comedic career. They work perfectly fine on screen together, but the romantic chemistry is practically non-existent.

Bewitched seems to be missing the Ephron magic that enchanted her previous romantic comedies. It could be the miscasting of Will Ferrell or the overly formulaic plot. It never seems to truly commit to the idea that the love story between Isabel and Jack is the real remake of Bewitched. Instead, it relies on special effects and some minor, silly spell casting/shenanigans to try and make the movie work. Michael Caine’s talent is completely wasted, and Steve Carell, whom I usually adore, shows up briefly as the obnoxious Uncle Arthur… and he really commits to the obnoxious part.

That being said, there were some parts of the movie that I found to be entertaining. Shirley MacLaine makes the most of her underdeveloped role as Iris/Endora, and some sight gags are amusing. As usual, the Ephron soundtrack is full of cozy nostalgia, but it’s not enough to make Bewitched worthy of its material source. I don’t regret watching it (again), but it’s unlikely I’ll return for another repeated viewing.

Watched: 07/22/2022
Notable Song: Witchcraft by Frank Sinatra

Rating:

07/23/2022
‘Rumor Has It…’ (2005) Review

Rumor Has It Synopsis: Sarah Huttinger is a woman who learns that her family was the inspiration for the book and film “The Graduate” — and that she just might be the offspring of the well-documented event.

Newly engaged Sarah (Jennifer Aniston) is headed back home to California for the wedding of her little sister, Annie (Mena Suvari). While there, she discovers that her grandmother and mother might have inspired Charlie Webb’s novel, The Graduate. Desperate to discover the truth, Sarah seeks out Beau Burroughs (Kevin Costner), a millionaire she suspects may be her real father.

“Life is short, but marriage is long… so drink up, and it will make it go a hell of a lot faster.”

I can’t really say that Rumor Has It is some unofficial sequel to The Graduate because it’s supposed to be about the family that inspired the book/movie. Or something like that. Sarah’s mother and grandmother both slept with Beau Burroughs… Beau bragged about it to his college buddy, Charlie Webb, who wrote a novel about it. Sarah, who feels completely removed from her family, is convinced Beau is her real father, especially after finding out her mother had an affair with him the week before her wedding to Earl (Richard Jenkins).

Some Spoilers Below…

So Sarah, engaged to Jeff, played by cutie patootie Mark Ruffalo, sends Jeff back to NYC so she can track down Beau. After some alcohol and finding out that Beau is sterile (so he says), Sarah sleeps with him. Thus begins Rumor Has It’s ick factor. Look, I know Beau is supposedly sterile and not Sarah’s dad, but she thought he was, and then, with a snap of the finger, she’s having sex with him. And he’s had sex with her mother… and grandmother! It’s just… icky!

Shirley MacLaine is a treat as Sarah’s grandmother, Katharine, and I’ve always enjoyed Richard Jenkins. But for me, the movie’s brightest spot is Mark Ruffalo as Jeff. He’s supportive and trusting of Sarah, but he’s also pretty damn funny. Beau is… odd. Sure, he’s a millionaire, but there’s just something strange about him. Obviously, Sarah is experiencing an identity crisis, but her choices in this film make zero sense to me. What is it about Beau that appeals so much? Is it that he’s handsome and wealthy? Pah.

“I didn’t come here to tell you that I can’t live without you. I can live without you. I just don’t want to.” – Sarah

After watching two Rob Reiner films in a row – Alex and Emma being the first – I realized both were mildly disappointing. I saw Rumor Has It… ages ago but could only remember the fact that Sarah slept with a guy she thought was her dad just because he claimed to be sterile – DNA test anyone? – and I think that’s all I’ll take away from this rewatch, too.

It’s just a cookie-cutter film that lands awkwardly in its message. There aren’t many laughs when Ruffalo isn’t on screen, and it’s tough to feel empathy for Sarah when she can so quickly hurt the people who love her, all because she doesn’t share much in common with her father. Honestly, I adored the cast, but Rumor Has It is just a mess.

Watched: 03/14/2022
Notable Song: Baby, You’ve Got What It Takes by Nellie McKay and Taj Mahal

Rating:

03/22/2022
‘Valentine’s Day’ (2010) Review

The first of Garry Marshall’s holiday-themed ensemble films, Valentine’s Day, takes place on, you guessed it, Valentine’s Day! Boasting a cast of several A-listers, including Rom-Com Queen Julia Roberts, the movie took on the popular Love Actually by placing many good-looking people in stories that would eventually be revealed to be connected in one way or another.

I will admit that I was not too fond of New Year’s Eve. I usually adore Garry Marshall, but that film just missed the mark in every conceivable way. When I began watching Valentine’s Day, my husband reminded me that we had already seen it in the theater when it was released. Given that I barely remember what happened two days ago, I had very little memory of this movie until I started watching it again. I’m not sure what I thought of it back then, but I will admit that I found it charming this go-around.

It’s not a perfect movie or even a great one. These large ensemble movies rarely are. Some of the stories don’t work or make much sense. Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel had zero chemistry, and the film’s only LGBTQ representation received about a minute of screen time. But I enjoyed some of the other stories quite a bit, including Ashton Kutcher getting dumped by his girlfriend while his best friend, played by Jennifer Garner, is wooed by a married doctor.

There was also a cute storyline with Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts, in which an army captain returns home just for one night to visit the special man in her life. That particular reunion was brief but so heartfelt that, yes, I got a bit choked up.

Where New Year’s Eve felt overwhelming and overstuffed, Valentine’s Day balanced its cast and stories quite well. There is enough humor to keep it from feeling too gooey, but this is a rom-com based around Valentine’s Day, so I would think anyone watching this would expect sugary fluff. Garry Marshall definitely delivers on that promise and then some.

Honestly, there’s not much to analyze here, no deeper meaning to be found. Valentine’s Day is a sweet box of chocolates and a bouquet of roses, nothing more, nothing less. Turn off your mind and enjoy its sweet coziness. There’s also the added bonus of searching for and finding the Garry Marshall easter eggs in this movie. It gives the film an extra touch of rom-com magic that I really adored. Plus, you get to watch Julia repeat one of her most iconic movie lines during the credits.

Watched: 02/14/2021
Notable Song: Today Was a Fairytale by Taylor Swift

Rating:

02/14/2021