Review of The Seven Year Itch (1955) by Jim H — 05 Jul 2012
A man whose wife is away for the summer fantasizes about the girl who lives upstairs.
Marilyn Monroe was obviously beautiful, glamorous, and altogether physically admirable, but she wasn't much of an actress. I find it difficult to believe that this character is so naive to fail to see Richard's attraction to her, so much so that she would jump atop the random subway vent. The character Monroe creates is perplexing because she has moments of profound insight at the end but an utter blindness throughout most of the rest of the of the film, and in the hands of a better actress, we might be able to discern a clear choice about the character's perceptions.
Tom Ewell handles his many soliloquies well, but these speeches comprise far too much of the film. I would have thought that a director as good as Billy Wilder would have been able to show much of what was told in these parts of the film.
Overall, this classic was disappointing, and I'm still looking to see what it is about Monroe that garners such universal acclaim.
This review of The Seven Year Itch (1955) was written by Jim H on 05 Jul 2012.
The Seven Year Itch has generally received positive reviews.
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