“It’s not how long you wait, it’s who you’re waiting for!”
When you love movies, you’ll bound to watch movies by Billy Wilder, sooner or later. If you’re not familiar with him, he directed and written numerous classic movies that are still a favorite until now. I personally bookmarked his name when Cameron Crowe, one of my favorite director, mentioned that his favorite movie is The Apartment (1960). Since that time, I put that movie on my watch list. But instead I watched Some Like It Hot (1959) first, and I take it as a warm up. Given that I saw My Week With Marilyn (2011) first before any of Monroe films, I saw behind her celebrity image (performed perfectly by Michelle Williams) that made me see her as a human. But seeing this movie just made me fully realize her beauty and why she was in every male’s fantasy.
It’s basically a story about two musicians, Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) who accidentally being an eye witness of a murder by a feared mob. They successfully get away from being killed and disguised themselves as girls in a girl band for a 3-week job in Florida. Joe is known for his brain and have the charm for the ladies, while Jerry worries a lot and quite sarcastic. As they go to Florida where they should work, they become friends with naive and beautiful Sugar Cane (Marilyn Monroe) who plays ukulele and also sings. Although first it was Jerry who felt too lucky surrounded by beautiful women (especially Sugar), in the end it’s Joe who falls for Sugar. Will Sugar sees him as he is? And will they survive from the search of the mobs?
Seeing Some Like It Hot is like watching a bundle of wonderfully-served comedy, though not new if you just see it, but definitely felt fresh and original. From Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon’s characters who complements each other with their different personalities (like Chandler and Joey in Friends) and their lovely chemistry, Marilyn Monroe’s enticing, fragile personality and attractiveness, even the feared mobs helped the movie become a great humor package. The funny acts and smart script able to give me enough laughter to love the movie. And no, it doesn’t age. I don’t know if back then the wardrobes were pretty precise, but neither Joe and Jerry looked too-masculine with as girls. They were believable as ladies, not forced like today’s comedy.
Marilyn Monroe is the candy of the comedy, a delight for the eyes and ear and the type of woman you couldn’t say no to. Monroe’s two stage costumes was tantalizing enough to haunt each man’s mind since they saw this movie. What confused me though if the instruments she played were actually used in the band.
For a two-hour comedy, this remake of 1935 French film Fanfare d’Amour serves enough smart comedy with gangster background, a little romance that doesn’t sell fantasy and a surprise ending turn that made it memorable. Perhaps a good way for me to see Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon first time.
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