When I first saw this movie I thought I liked it, but I watched it again and it was boring. The story was nothing special and I didn't find any humor. It seems very dated. I seem to find a lot of Billy Wilder's movies dated except Sunset Blvd and Double Indemnity.
You're probably in the wrong demographic to be able to appreciate this film. I would guess that your parents and grandparents probably find it most enjoyable. It's one of those films which I never get tired of seeing, despite having seen it at least a couple dozen times.
shareI don't know how anyone can say they would be bored by a movie as terrific as this one. I don't know what you mean by "dated" unless you are referring to elevator operators and typewriters and signs of that time but that shouldn't detract you from the terrific writing in the film.
shareYou sent your message to the wrong person. I rate this film an ' 8 ', or ' 9 ' out of 10. You need to send your message directly to the original poster. Otherwise, he/she won't know you've replied. It would probably be a waste of time though, because he's probably too young to appreciate a film like this.
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I am not too young. I'm 26. I really love Double Indemnity and Sunset Blvd, but I found this slow and boring. I don't get the joke and I love comedy. Some Like it Hot has lots of laughs. Nothing very memorable seemed to happen during this one. Why is it so interesting that other people have affairs or dates in C.C. Baxter's apartment? What makes that so entertaining? I also don't understand the tone of this movie. Is it a romantic comedy? A drama? A situational comedy? Some of Billy Wilder's movies I understand why audiences enjoy and others I find boring. I also didn't get what was so funny about One, Two, Three. I liked Fortune Cookie and Front Page.
This is more of a dramatic/comedy. The laughs here are more subtle. It is interesting why other people have affairs in Baxter's apartment showing what one man will do to get ahead in a dog eat dog world. Then he falls in love and realizes the error of his ways but not before having to make some important decisions about his own moral self before he can do anything about trying to win the woman he loves. Does the movie have to be entertaining for you to like it? Are you entertained by Ordinary People or Raging Bull? The tone is definitely dark with some comedy overtones but not a flat out comedy like some of Wilder's other movies.
"One, Two, Three" is another matter altogether. It's a great farcical film inspired by the films of Lubitsch and Hawks. Perhaps you will be see the humor in it someday. It's another terrific Wilder film.
I also don't get what's so funny about Lubitsch iether. To Be or Not to Be and Trouble in Paradise were boring. Bringing Up Baby from Howard Hawks is the most perfectly made comedy I've ever seen and one of my top ten favorite movies of all time!
shareI don't ever like to debate comedies with people. It's subjective so something you might find hilarious I might find stupid or vice versa. No argument from anyone is going to get any person to see the light and realize something is funny when they don't see it that way. Personally I despise every Adam Sandler comedy he has ever made but to tell most people that is to get looks like I am a Martian or that I have just kicked their dog. We agree on some things and totally disagree on others but that's the fun of debating film.
shareYou don't mess with the Zohan.
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Try them again at 40 or 50 and see if you still need to ask those questions. :)
I would say the wit of the writing and the upbeat ending keeps it from becoming a film noir but I wouldn't call it a comedy in the sense of being light-hearted and fun-filled. It uses comedic touches to leaven the serious drama. There is no joke to get but there is a message. It demands maturity and intelligence on the part of the audience to understand that the presentation of the message doesn't have to be depressing. People can leave the theater feeling stronger in the conviction that human dignity, integrity, honesty, and kindness are more important than money and the high life, with a smile on their face rather than wondering if they have a handy stock of sleeping pills at home.
I realize this is an older post, but I just watched 'The Apartment' on TCM and was drawn to the IMDb page, and I felt the need to tell you this post is really quite lovely. Matches the feelings I'm having toward the film myself right now - I can't believe it's taken me this long to finally see it! My mother told me over coffee the other day that it was going to be on soon, and highly recommended it, so I kept a lookout. So glad I did - she's not usually wrong about these things!
shareYour mother is indeed an insightful person and skiddoo has captured the essence of the movie in his comments.
shareskiddoo typed,
Try them again at 40 or 50 and see if you still need to ask those questions. :)
There is no joke to get but there is a message.
It demands maturity and intelligence on the part of the audience to understand that the presentation of the message doesn't have to be depressing.
People can leave the theater feeling stronger in the conviction that human dignity, integrity, honesty, and kindness are more important than money and the high life, with a smile on their face rather than wondering if they have a handy stock of sleeping pills at home.
"I'm not too young. I'm 26."
It's important that you not think I'm making fun. That just struck my funny bone from a distance of 40 years. Forgive me. But I understand you're not some kid addicted to transformers and car chases and explosions. For what it's worth I agree with you that age is not the factor here. The one thing that strikes me is the need for categorization, which I see very frequently. Why does a film need to be relegated to one stereotyped category or another? A film is a slice of life. Like life, practically every film has its comic moments, sad or tragic moments, all kinds aspects. To me, The Apartmnent is above all a moral life statement with a light initial overtone, but others see other things in it.
Above all, though, feel secure in what you get out of it. I don't expect everybody to love the same things I love. OK, maybe if you thought It's a Wonderful Life was boring and vapid, then we would have a problem ... just kidding.
Do you like Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine in other films?
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Wrong demographic means nothing, it's simple they like the film or they don't. I'm only 20 but I really really enjoyed this movie.
That's what she said
I find myself smile and sad all through this movie. Just like what I expected from Billy Wilder: great story and great film.
shareI don't think age has much to do with liking or disliking this film. I'm 19, and I absolutely love this film. However, my stepfather, who also loves classic films, doesn't like this movie. It came on TCM one day, and he said "I don't like this one," and changed the channel to some ridiculous reality show. Oh, the blasphemy! I am, and always have been, a classic film junkie. Wilder was a genius, and with Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and a brilliant script, this movie is incredible. It's one of my all-time favorites.
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This is my all-time favorite Romantic-Comedy. Have introduced it to numerous friends who had never seen it. They all seem to like or love it.
I am in that 'older' demographic, but hey, it's been my favorite since I first saw it in my early 20's. Still, I agree with the responder who suggested seeing it again after age 40.
Dated, and after only 50 years, too.
shareYeah, elevator operators, record players and Manhattan apartments that rent for $85 a month would tend to place the movie within a certain time frame. Don't see why that should detract from the quality any, though.
shareExactly. Watching an old movie is akin to watching a period piece. Then again, Pirates of the Caribbean would've been much more relevant without all those outmoded pirate ships. What were they thinking?!?!?
shareI suspect it was more about the dated attitudes toward male-female relationships, office politics,and so on. Intersting historically, but not as relatable as it would have been at the time.
Double Indemnity was two decades earlier yet somehow seems much fresher and more relevant.
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See a list of my favourite films here: http://www.flickchart.com/slackerinc
I agree with you man. I saw this movie with lot of expectation. i guess its an ordinary film and does deserve to be in top 250.Little miss sunshine is way better and worth for its message
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