‘The Apartment’ (1960) Review

The Apartment Synopsis: Bud Baxter is a minor clerk in a huge New York insurance company, until he discovers a quick way to climb the corporate ladder. He lends out his apartment to the executives as a place to take their mistresses. Although he often has to deal with the aftermath of their visits, one night he’s left with a major problem to solve.


The Apartment
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine
Directed by: Billy Wilder
Written by: I. A. L. Diamond, Billy Wilder
Released: 06/21/1960
Runtime: 125 minutes
Rated: 14A

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 members of the company as a place to entertain their mistresses. Meanwhile, Bud develops an attractive to elevator hostess, Fran Kubelik. When it’s revealed that Fran is one of the girls his boss brings to his apartment, Bud is faced with an unexpected problem.

The Apartment, directed by Billy Wilder, is an absolute classic gem, and itā€™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 as the troubled Fran propels what could have been a mere stereotype to a character with complexity. 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 who 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.

The Apartment 'The Apartment' (1960) Review

Watched: 11.23.2024
Notable Song: Jealous Lover by Charles Williams

Rating:

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