This review was inspired by a censorship write off I am participating in. My write off submission is going to be on a book (Family Secrets by Norma Klein), but the idea of bringing attention to "banned, condemned, censored" works really go me thinking. So here is my first review of "controversial" material.

Love in the Afternoon-- 1957 B/W 126 mins
Written and Directed by Billy Wilder
Stars-Gary Cooper (as Frank Flannagan), Audrey Hepburn (as Ariane Chavasse)

This is a comedy/romance about a French cellist (Hepburn) who is intrigued by an international playboy (Cooper) that her father (a detective) has been investigating. She overhears an enraged husband say he will kill Flannagan for stepping out with his wife. The girl who is fascinated by Flannagan goes to save him. After doing so she begins her humorous efforts to win him over. Since he is a playboy and older man she uses the tales of her fathers clients as her own so she seems sophisticated and to add more mystery she never tells him her name.

One of my favorite scenes is where Ariane is in her music class and speaking to her friend Michel

Ariane: They're very odd people, you know. When they're young, they have their teeth straightened, their tonsils taken out and gallons of vitamins pumped into them. Something happens to their insides! They become immunized, mechanized, air-conditioned and hydromatic. I'm not even sure whether he has a heart.

Michel: What is he? A creature from outer space?

Ariane: No. He's an American.

There are lots of other funny scenes in the movie and the pacing is great, no long drawn out speeches or flowery stuff. As a side note this movie almost got condemned by a catholic decency league for the original ending so they had to add a voice over at the end to make it pass their standards of decency.


Audrey Hepburn is very funny and charming and really does a grate job with this part. (Not a big surprise). Gary Cooper on the other hand seemed stiff and awkward to me but by the end I was liking his character a little more. I think someone else might have done better in the part since he seemed a little bit older than the middle aged he was supposed to be.

I don't want to spoil the movie so I will end by saying if you like romantic comedies and/or classic movies you might want to check this one out.



Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Good Date Movie