Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Day #58 - Love in the Afternoon



Another random choice :) - this one from Audrey Hepburn day on TCM! Love in the Afternoon was a cute but strange movie. I think I would have liked it more if I had been even remotely convinced at the romance between Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper. He was much too serious and just seemed SO much older than her...there wasn't much chemistry, I don't know...has anyone else out there seen it? Julia? I did like it though, it was a cute story. Let me take a few steps back...

Audrey Hepburn plays Arianne, the daughter of a Parisian detective who is hired by men to spy on their wives when they suspect them of cheating. As a result, his house is full of files and pictures that Arianne loves to read through. One night, she overhears one of her father's clients say he is going to kill the man sleeping with his wife - Frank Flanagan, an American playboy and womanizer. Arianne rushes out to warn him, even though she had never met him before. She saves Frank from getting shot and finds herself meeting him the following day. Over the course of the next few weeks while Frank is in Paris, Arianne sees him in the afternoons as she cant' get away from her father in the evenings. She spins this whole tale of herself to Frank, leading him to believe she is also out with other people a lot and is no more attached to him than he is to her....however, as time goes on, they both know they are starting to fall in love! When Frank finds out who Arianne really is, a detetive daughter who lives at home and spends her time with only ONE man, he leaves, trying to save her from his lifestyle.....but can he really leave? Of course not! We all know how this turns out :)

Gary Cooper to me is SOOO Christopher Plummer. That's all I can think about when I see him. I much prefer Gary Cooper in High Noon than in this kind of romantic role. He and Audrey separately are fantastic but together.....not so much. Billy Wilder co-wrote and directed this movie and really wanted Cary Grant to be in it, but he said no. I am wondering if Cary Grant had issues with Audrey...he never did a movie with her and was offered one more than once. This, by the way, is my SIXTH Billy Wilder movie, can you believe it?!

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