Review of Love in the Afternoon (1957) by Sherry L — 02 Mar 2010

What today's critics see: two legends, Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper starring together in a romantic comedy by the legend Billy Wilder. Sounds good, right?

What I see, and the critics then saw; a 17-year old being seduced by a 60-year old. Seriously, Hepburn looks very much younger then she really is, and I don't know how old her character is suppose to be but my guess would be between 15 and 19. And then we have Cooper who look like being around 60 years old. What annoys me the most is the fact that there is no such lolita-theme is this, it's just like the most natural thing in the world...a romantic relationship between a 17 year old, and a 60 year old. Nobody rose their eyesbrows in the movie, or neither did her "papa" disapprove.

You know what? I'm pretty sure that my parents and friends would have react if I would have a 60 year old boyfriend when I was 17...But that's perhaps just me...

(I should perhaps mention that Cary Grant turned down the role as he believed that he was too old. And Cary was three years younger then Gary).

Audrey Hepburn is playing this gamine daughter Ariane, of this french detective Claude played by Maurice Chevalier. Maurice is hired by a man to find our his the man's wife if unfaithful or not. When the man gets to know that he was right about his suspicions, he plans to murder his wife's lover, a playboy named Frank but Ariane overhears the conversasion and warns Frank. They start to get interested in eachother and Ariane pretends to be this woman of the world with lots of lovers just to impress Frank and Frank slowly starts to get jealous of Ariane's made up lovers.

I didn't find the plot good enough to save the movie, so I have to rate this movie rotten, despite gorgeous Audrey.

Everytime I heard Maurice Chevalier say the word "love" (pronounced "leuve") I really wanted to turn off the telly for some reason.

Sorry, about this very subjective review, folks. But I just had to let it off my chest!