Breakfast at Tiffany's

I don’t know how I went this long without watching this movie, but I recently viewed it for the first time. It is fairly entertaining for the most part. Audrey Hepburn is magnetic and Patricia Neal just as good. I thought George Peppard could have injected more energy or emotion into his role. The rest of the cast is solid, especially the cat. The plot seems rather daring for the time, though they are careful about talking around mature themes. I thought Mickey Rooney playing a Japanese character was in terrible taste, and apparently director Blake Edwards wished he could cast it over again. It wasn’t Rooney’s fault; it was a thankless role and comes across as racist with our modern sensibilities. So I wasn’t dazzled by the story, but I found the final scene with the cat redeemed some of the flaws I noticed along the way.

Audrey Hepburn is at the top of her game as the dysfunctional socialite "Holly" who takes a bit of a shine to the rather staid "Paul" (George Peppard) who has moved into their apartment building. He is an artist in what can only be described a rut, and is readily, if a little timidly, subsumed into her wacky and lively world. She claims he reminds her of her brother, but of course time and events soon change that dynamic. Thing is, though, they both have some pretty hefty skeletons in their closets, and the challenge for them both will be to not let those spoil what could be a burgeoning romance! Aside from the legendary "Moon River" song, this is essentially just a quickly paced character study of two people with about as many complexities to their personalities as it is possible to have. The dialogue is often genuinely funny; the scenarios - though sometimes a little cringe-making - can't help but raise a smile as does the continuity provided by their constantly complaining upstairs neighbour. Time has not been especially kind to some of the stereotypes - not least Mickey Rooney's "Yunioshi" but taken in the context of the time, it is still entertaining, risqué even, and enjoyable to watch.

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Peter McGinn

CinemaSerf