The Apartment (1960) : ✌✌✌

I will again start my journey, or so I thought. I love few things. Among them, movies and books are on top, Taniya being on header and traveling on footer. So when the weather is dry and hot, and I have enough time besides reading, writing and small work in office, I thought why not crowding my blog with junks! Well, the thing is, the posts may be scraps, but the things aren’t. They are gems of cinematic history. And the excuse provided, I can really watch them. Or, re-watch ‘em. Everyday one film.

Today I watched The Apartment. A 1960 American comedy-drama film that was produced and directed by Billy Wilder, and which stars Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. The film won five Oscars among ten nominations in 1960 and was a commercial block blaster, like Wilder’s previous movie ‘Some Like It Hot’.

Bud Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is a lonely bachelor and lends his apartment downtown city in a hope for promotion to his office managers, who are in several extra-marital affairs. His rather peaceful and successful life gets altered, when he falls in love with his office elevator operator Fran Qubelik (Shirley MacLaine), who ironically is in romantic relation with one of his managers.

The film is stunning and smart in presentation. The storytelling is tender, empathetic and systematic. The characters are so much believable that we start empathizing. As if a gleeful poem, the film takes us to the intricacies of love slowly but firmly. Baxter’s every dialogue, every moves, even his little sneezes are just too perfect. Jack Lemmon immortalizes this character. And so does Shirley Maclaine as Qubelik. She knows she loves wrong guy, but cannot help it, and warns Baxter to stay away from her, but again falls for him. Oh, she’s a darling.

Considered a marvel, The Apartment is now a classic comedy. Initially it was booed for its adultery content, but later on it had a cult status. Kevin Spacey dedicated his Oscar for American Beauty (1999) to Lemmon's performance as Bud Baxter. It’ll surely make your day.

Watch for: Lemmon’s subtle performance. Beautiful storytelling.

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%; Roger Ebert: 4/4; and me: ✌✌✌