Billy Wilder in a benign mood but then what other kind of mood could he
be in when his title character, SABRINA is none other than Audrey
Hepburn. She's the chauffeur's daughter in this charming Cinderella
tale, who leaves Long Island for Paris where she's to learn cooking,
(yes, like me, you may think her chauffeur father a tad extravagant when
it comes to his daughter's education), only to return, no longer an
ugly duckling, (as if she ever was one in the first place), but
a fairy-tale princess. Her Prince Charming is William Holden but he's slightly tarnished, (he's actually something of a heel), and Audrey has been too busy gazing longingly at him to notice it's his older brother, sweet, old-fashioned Humphrey Bogart, that she really loves.
It's
based on a play by Samuel Taylor and Taylor, Wilder and Ernest Lehman
did the adaptation and it's very fine. Wilder directs with the lightest
of touches and his cast responds accordingly. Hepburn, acting and
looking more beautiful than ever, is charm personified, Holden displays a
rare comic streak and seems much more comfortable than in many of his
dramatic roles while Bogart is the revelation here. Of course, he
played comedy before, (and won the Oscar for it in THE AFRICAN QUEEN),
but he's so good, (and so relaxed), here it makes you wish he had done
comedy more often. A huge hit, the film has remained a perennial
favourite. It was remade with Julia Ormond as Sabrina and Harrison Ford
and Greg Kinnear in the Bogart/Holden roles. It wasn't a patch on the
original.
The films reviewed here represent those I have liked or loved over the years. It is not a list of my favourite films but all the films reviewed here are worth seeing and worth seeking out. I know many of you won't agree with me on a lot of these but hopefully you will grant me, and the films that appear here, our place in the sun. Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, 4 July 2018
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