The Apartment (1960)

IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
Runtime: 120min
Language: English
Country: USA
Color: B&W
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053604/

Director: Billy Wilder
Cast:
Jack Lemmon .... C.C. 'Bud' Baxter
Shirley MacLaine .... Fran Kubelik
Fred MacMurray .... Jeff D. Sheldrake
Ray Walston .... Joe Dobisch
Jack Kruschen .... Dr. Dreyfuss
David Lewis .... Al Kirkeby
Hope Holiday .... Mrs. Margie MacDougall
Joan Shawlee .... Sylvia
Naomi Stevens .... Mrs. Mildred Dreyfuss
Johnny Seven .... Karl Matuschka
Joyce Jameson .... The blonde
Willard Waterman .... Mr. Vanderhoff
David White .... Mr. Eichelberger
Edie Adams .... Miss Olsen


Hmmmm. I didn't like this one. Well, not as much as I liked some of the other Billy Wilder movies I've seen so far.

Okay, I can't just jump in to something and say that, now, can I? Okay then...I'll tell you why I didn't like it much.

The movie was fabulous. It's not a paradox...the movie, as movies go was brilliant. Great direction, fab story, great acting by all actors involved. What I didn't like much is the character Jack Lemmon has to play. Well, with a name like Lemmon it's probably just a little funny if you get if you get a lemon every now and then.
Again, let me be fair. The movie really was good. Very funny concept, quite funny at times with the right amount of sentimentality.

What I didn't like, like I said before, was the poor sap that Mr.Lemmon had to play in the movie. I don't like it when a decent guy has to go through like with people treating him like crap and other people thinking bad things about him. I've seen it happen and I hate it when such things happen.
Jack, was the perfect sap. The movie derives it's name from his place of residence, which he gives away to senior men at his office so that they can entertain the women they don't want their wives to know about. In doing so he gives up his own comfort and a fair bit of his dignity.

The system is working well for him. The bosses get a room and he in return gets ahead at work...that is until Ms.MacLaine enters the picture. He fancies her and she turns out to be one of the "women" who finds her way to his appartment, but, not with him. The big boss stakes his claim on Ms.M.

Things get complicated around now. What with him liking her and she loving the boss and the boss obviously being a skunk and not really loving her. But as it is with movies, things do sorta work out.

I'll let you see how they work out for yourself.
All in all...a good movie but not completely to my taste.

I will admit this though. Shirley MacLaine looks ravishing. Someone recently spoke with me liking women with a "waif-like" quality and a whole bunch of "innocence". Ms.MacLaine personifies that characteristic.
She is incredibly beautiful, heartbreakingly innocent and totally endearing. Your heart reaches out to her instantly. She has that knack of looking positive gorgeous without even making an effort. I really liked her in this movie. A picture of loveliness, she was.

Right then. That's about it for the movie :)

The Moviemania Rating: 7/10
A relatively low rating because of all the reasons I've given above.
Don't get me wrong though, the movie is definitely worth watch. Mr.Wilder never disappoints :)