Director: Billy Wilder
Writer: Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond (Screenplay)
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Jack Krushen, David Lewis, Hope Holiday
Plot: A man tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts, but complications and a romance of his own ensue.
Tagline – YOU’VE NEVER HAD MORE FUN in the Motion Picture!!! Movie-Wise…Love-Wise…Laugh-Wise…Or Otherwise…You’ll Rave About This One!!!
Runtime: 2 Hours 5 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Timeless Classic
Story: The Apartment starts as an office worker in New York C.C. Baxter (Lemmon) lets his bosses use his apartment for their affairs, he has a whole calendar set up, which sees him hoping it will give him a chance at a promotion, C.C. is also trying to get to know the lift girl Fran (MacLaine), who unaware to him, has been involved in one of the affairs.
As both C.C. and Fran learn about each other are up to, they both try to end the situations they find themselves as they start to fall in love with each other.
Thoughts on The Apartment
Characters – C.C. Baxter is an officer worker, he lives in a small apartment in New York and he lets his executives use it for their affairs which in exchanges hopes will get him a promotion, he does have a growing relationship with a lift girl, which puts his apartment situation in trouble. He is a shy but confident man who is always trying to make people happy in his life. Fran Kubelik is a lift girl that has been involved in one of the affairs with the executives, she does get on well with C.C. too, she does want an honest man, but has been caught under the spell of the married man that lies to her for what he wants. Jeff D Sheldrake and Joe Dobisch are two of the executives that are using C.C. for his apartment, they are offering him promotions for this, despite the fact he will do anything for them.
Performances – Jack Lemmon is brilliant in the leading role, we see how he has gotten himself into a difficult situation and how he will remain calm getting out of them. Shirley MacLaine is wonderful too, showing the naïve nature in her character. In the supporting roles Fred MacMurray, Ray Walston, Jack Kruchen are all wonderful too, showing us the characters they are playing with ease.
Story – The story here follows an officer worker that lets his bosses use his apartment for affairs, while he hopes to get himself promotions up the office block, until he get involved with on of the girls in the building who is also involved in when of the affairs. This sees how one man knows he can make a little bit of money on the side, looking to get promoted quicker, only to find himself questioning his morals when it start to get too close to home. It does paint nearly all the executives as cheaters and does show us just how naïve the women are meant to be during this time. This story shows how love can come from strange places, but the good people will always get what they deserve.
Comedy/Romance – The comedy in this film comes from the different situations the characters find themselves in, with C.C. trying to stay on top of the appointments in his apartment. The romance shows how C.C. could find himself in a position where he does fall in love but can’t do anything about it.
Settings – The film uses New York as the settings, which does show us the two main locations in C.C.’s life his massive office building and his cosy apartment.
Scene of the Movie – New Year’s Eve.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It does seem to show both the manipulative sides of men and the naïve sides of women.
Final Thoughts – This is a classic for its time, it has brilliant performances from everyone involved and shows us just how complicated love can be.
Overall: Must watch classic.
