Review of Irma la Douce (1963) by Blake P — 17 Aug 2011
When you have Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Billy Wilder working together in the same movie, how can you go wrong? Irma (MacLaine), is a "French" hooker walking the streets with a bunch of other prostitutes.
When bumbling policeman Nestor (Lemmon) finds the spot, he arrests them all. For some reason, the station rejects both the hookers and him, leaving him jobless. He goes back to the area, and ends up with Irma.
When they fall in love [like always], Nestor wants her to quit her job, and in a desperate attempt, he dresses up as Lord X, a British aristocrat that overpays her so she doesn't have to work. Will his plan last long? I just saw "The Apartment" which is definitely one of my favorite Billy Wider movies, so I wanted to see "Irma La Douce" to see another film of his, but also to see Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon reteam.
Though it's obvious before and after that this movie wouldn't be as good as its predecessor, it is not a time waster and is entertaining throughout. The long two and a half hours only feels like an hour and a half! The script is great, the actors are wonderful, the cinematography is very colorful, there's not much not to like.
The antics are well-played, and the plot is never lame, so why not see this? "Irma La Douce" is great, and since its not available on NF, I would rent it on iTunes, because this is something special.
This review of Irma la Douce (1963) was written by Blake P on 17 Aug 2011.
Irma la Douce has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
