Review of Love in the Afternoon (1957) by Donovan D — 04 Feb 2008
Minor Billy Wilder romantic comedy. The film's strengths: it has a breezy Parisian atmosphere that feels at times almost like New Wave-lite, the dialogue is written in that witty repartee style of the period, and Audrey Hepburn is simply adorable as the youthful Ariane in spite of the worst hairstyle she's ever sported.
The film's weaknesses: the object of Ariane's affection is the geriatric male slut millionaire played by Gary Cooper, and the romance seems utterly unconvincing - at least in Charade Hepburn's romance with the equally fossilized Cary Grant had some chemistry.
Why a girl like her would fall for this walking corpse left me completely confused. After much pondering I got the answer as I heard Kanye West's voice in my head saying 'she ain't nothin' but a gold digger'.
She never explicitly acts as such, but thanks to little hints here and there, it seems like the logical conclusion. Love in the Afternoon is okay, but certainly well below the standards of Wilder's best.
This review of Love in the Afternoon (1957) was written by Donovan D on 04 Feb 2008.
Love in the Afternoon has generally received positive reviews.
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