Sabrina

Genre: romantic comedy    

With: Humphrey Bogart (Linus Larrabee), Audrey Hepburn (Sabrina Fairchild), William Holden (David Larrabee), Walter Hampden (Oliver Larrabee), John Williams (Thomas Fairchild), Martha Hyer (Elizabeth Tyson), Joan Vohs (Gretchen Van Horn), Marcel Dalio (Baron St. Fontanel)

Director: Billy Wilder

Screenplay: Billy Wilder, Samuel Taylor and Ernest Lehman (from a play by Samuel Taylor)

Release: 1954

Studio: Paramount Pictures

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.0/10

She May Be Reaching for the Moon But She’s Got a Pretty Long Arm

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Story-line: the daughter of a chauffeur working for a wealthy Long Island family is secretly in love with David, the family’s younger son… but David and kin have more appealing prospects in mind.  

Pluses: an effective screenplay peppered with humour and sparkling dialogues, excellent direction, an able cast displaying impeccable comic timing, a delicately tailored ending and Bogart’s ode to capitalism recalling Gordon Gekko’s in WALL STREET.  

Minuses: the film may require a leap of faith here and there but no more than any other modern fairy tale.  

Comments: SABRINA is not one of Billy Wilder’s greatest accomplishments but its value cannot be denied, especially when you compare it with the fatally flawed remake of 1995. Enjoy the wonderful dynamics between Bogart, Hepburn and Holden, three huge Hollywood stars, and pay attention to Marcel Dalio (1900-1983) in a minor role. During his long film and television career, Marcel has worked with Gabin, Gene Kelly, Bogart and Bacall, Renoir, Arletty, Howard Hawks, Cayatte, Maria Montez, Danny Kaye, Gregory Peck. Marilyn Monroe, Shirley MacLaine and Frank Sinatra, Cukor, de Broca, John Wayne, Belmondo and Louis de Funès… quite a gallery!

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Hatuna Meuheret

English title: Late Marriage

Also known as: Mariage tardif

Genre: comedy drama

With: Lior Louie Ashkenazi (Zaza), Moni Moshonov (Yasha), Lili Koshashvili (Lili), Ronit Elkabetz (Judith), Aya Steinovitz (Ilana)                                                                              

Direction and screenplay: Dover Koshashvili

Release: 2001

Studio: Arte France Cinéma, Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC), Israeli Film Fund, Keshet Broadcasting et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.1/10

The Fine Line Between Helping and Meddling

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Story-line: Yasha and Lili are deeply disappointed with their son Zaza, a student at Tel Aviv University, because he’s still single at the ripe old age of 31. With the aid of relatives, they will try once again to find him a nice young wife.                                                                                

Pluses: solid acting by Lior Louie Ashkenazi and cast, a thoughtful screenplay that yields several surprises, competent direction, irreproachable production values.

Minuses: none whatsoever.

Comments: HATUNA MEUHERET reinvigorates a well-worn premise by transplanting it to an unfamiliar context (for me anyway) and sustains interest by pitting modern mores against Jewish tradition. Here’s a real discovery for you… and a fine, bittersweet movie.      

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Bon voyage

Genre: suspense

With: Isabelle Adjani (Viviane Denvers), Gérard Depardieu (Jean-Étienne Beaufort), Grégori Derangère (Frédéric Auger), Virginie Ledoyen (Camille), Yvan Attal (Raoul), Jean-Marc Stehlé (Professor Kopolski), Peter Coyote (Alex Winckler)

Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau

Release: 2003

Studio: ARP Sélection et al.

Rating: PG

MBiS score: 8.1/10

There Are VIPs Everybody Seeks and VIPs Nobody Should Know

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Story-line: Paris, 1940. While Hitler’s army threatens France, Viviane Denvers, a celebrated actress, attends the premiere of her new movie in the company of a cabinet minister and assorted hangers-on. Coming home afterwards, she eludes one more admirer with the help of Frédéric Auger, a childhood friend. And that’s when things get rather complicated for the beautiful star and the gallant Frédéric…

Pluses: a luxurious and well-crafted production, a tight, fast-paced and twist-filled screenplay that features splendid characters and allows them to evolve as circumstances warrant, a balanced mix of drama and humour, top-grade performances by Isabelle Adjani (her Viviane is a complicated woman who puts her charms to good use), Gérard Depardieu (alternately austere and delicate), Grégori Derangère, Virginie Ledoyen and Yvan Attal. 

Minuses: none I can think of.

Comments: the synopsis above may not seem very inviting but it only covers the first ten minutes of the movie. As a whole, BON VOYAGE is an old-fashioned cliffhanger about one very important man who must be shielded from the Nazis. Noble sentiments, political intrigue, love and dastardly dealings … there’s something for everyone in this memorable picture by Jean-Paul Rappeneau.   

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