Movie Review #28 The Apartment (1960)

- Romance Comedy, not so light-hearted.

I sat down to watch this film along with Some Like It Hot, both directed by famed director Billy Wilder. Both movies were also co-written by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond. However, after watching Some Like It Hot, I almost dreaded watching The Apartment. I felt Some Like It Hot played out too many stereotypes and the believability of all the hi-jinx was rather difficult. But, in essence they were both romantic comedies from the outside looking in and so, I flicked on The Apartment. I can safely say that The Apartment was far superior, an engaging romantic comedy with some serious undertones that aren't just there for a few free laughs.

The movie's first quarter or so begins with some straight cut comedy. Perhaps not knee slapping, barrel laughing comedy, but a 'heh' what a sticky wicket our main man C.C Baxter (played by Jack Lemmon) has gotten himself into. The quick and dirty is that our man C.C., a bachelor with a nicely done up apartment has foolishly offered up his apartment to his co-workers for them to cheat on their wives with some two-timing tarts. His boss Jeff D. Sheldrake (played by Fred MacMurray) has joined in using “the apartment” and sets up a deal. He gets the apartment with top priority over the other co-workers and C.C. gets a promotion. Near this point in time a love interest, Fran Kubelik (played by Shirley MacLaine) has appeared and the story really starts.

The big spoiler of the movie (is it really a spoiler if the movie is 50 years old?) is the storyline that weaves its way through the entire movie: our man C.C. and Fran have something in common. Prior to the events in the movie, C.C. tried to kill himself while Fran does within the movie and the fallout from her suicide is much closer to dark comedy than straight-up comedy. Suicide isn't really dealt with in movies all that often, and reading about movies from that time period I would have to say it was even less so back then. Suicide will always be a problem and seeing a movie scratch at the surface of it 50 years ago was a strong start but we haven't really gone much further with it within the realm of the mainstream cinema. It's still quite a taboo subject. I commend the movie for talking about it even if it only takes it so far (it is, after all, supposed to be a comedy).

All three previously mentioned actors are well known for being great actors and I don't feel as any one of them should not be top billed. They all give great performances. I thought the next door neighbour was a bit hammy and over the top but otherwise nothing to report. There are some inconsistencies within the movie with props and the like but I found the story engaging enough that even though I noticed them, it didn't bother me in the slightest. It's well-written and I'll admit that the dark undertones while not brushed away at the end are certainly lightened, which may frustrate some people. Even so, time constraints of the movie were going to get in the way, and a time skip would not have fit in anyway.

The daily grind... of making your apartment a house of sin.

The movie opens to something closer to a standard Frank Capra film insofar as a happy-go-lucky guy falls in love with the unattainable woman, and by gosh he tries anyway. The movie is topped off with a magical ending that brings spirit to our hearts. We may have gotten something magical but it went somewhere a little darker than the usual fare for the time. If you've got the time, sit down and enjoy this classic. This is an old movie that I won't soon forget.

I give it a 9/10

IMDb user rating: 8.4/10 (56, 658 votes)

PS: Shirley MacLaine was much too cute 50 years ago.