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#386 - Sabrina
Billy Wilder, 1954
A love triangle develops between two brothers from a wealthy family and the daughter of their family's chauffeur.
More Audrey Hepburn, this time appearing under the direction of master satirist Billy Wilder and accompanied by the caddish yet charismatic pairing of Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. Sabrina is a decent enough example of a romantic drama with shades of black comedy typical of a Wilder vehicle, but at the end of the day it's still merely alright more so than a genuine classic. Hepburn proves to be a lot more versatile than her memetically classy exterior would suggest with a working-class performance that predates her turn as Eliza Doolittle, while Bogart and Holden go through their greatest hits as they play a pair of unsurprisingly different brothers. Bogart is the responsible brother who runs the family business and is thus an unlikely candidate for Hepburn's affections, unlike Holden as the surprisingly light-haired gadfly who attracts Hepburn much more easily.
All three leads have demonstrated considerable talent over the courses of their respective career, as has the director, yet it seems like a somewhat lesser film compared to the prior (and occasionally subsequent) work of all four principals. That alone guarantees that the film isn't a total waste of time with its raher cynical take on class relations in a romantic context. Of course, star power only goes so far with this film and its rather flimsy take on its more satirical subjects. Though it's not handled so poorly that the romantic elements at the core of the film suffer for it, it makes liking the film a bit difficult. It's a testament to talent of those involved that it's a very watchable affair, though of course it doesn't quite feel like a classic as a result.
Billy Wilder, 1954
A love triangle develops between two brothers from a wealthy family and the daughter of their family's chauffeur.
More Audrey Hepburn, this time appearing under the direction of master satirist Billy Wilder and accompanied by the caddish yet charismatic pairing of Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. Sabrina is a decent enough example of a romantic drama with shades of black comedy typical of a Wilder vehicle, but at the end of the day it's still merely alright more so than a genuine classic. Hepburn proves to be a lot more versatile than her memetically classy exterior would suggest with a working-class performance that predates her turn as Eliza Doolittle, while Bogart and Holden go through their greatest hits as they play a pair of unsurprisingly different brothers. Bogart is the responsible brother who runs the family business and is thus an unlikely candidate for Hepburn's affections, unlike Holden as the surprisingly light-haired gadfly who attracts Hepburn much more easily.
All three leads have demonstrated considerable talent over the courses of their respective career, as has the director, yet it seems like a somewhat lesser film compared to the prior (and occasionally subsequent) work of all four principals. That alone guarantees that the film isn't a total waste of time with its raher cynical take on class relations in a romantic context. Of course, star power only goes so far with this film and its rather flimsy take on its more satirical subjects. Though it's not handled so poorly that the romantic elements at the core of the film suffer for it, it makes liking the film a bit difficult. It's a testament to talent of those involved that it's a very watchable affair, though of course it doesn't quite feel like a classic as a result.