The Apartment Review: Billy Wilder's Bittersweet Comedy
9/10 — The Apartment (1960)
Pros
- Lemmon and MacLaine's chemistry
- Sharp, witty script
- Balances comedy and sadness
Cons
- Dated attitudes
- Uneven tone
C.C. Baxter, a lowly insurance clerk played by Jack Lemmon, lends his apartment to executives for their affairs in the hope of climbing the ladder, and falls for the elevator operator, Fran Kubelik. It won Best Picture.
What works
Lemmon is a perfect everyman, and MacLaine is lovely and vulnerable. Wilder’s script moves from laugh-out-loud comedy to genuine heartbreak with ease, and its satire of corporate culture is sharp.
Where it falters
The film’s attitudes to women are of its time, and the tone is uneven for some.
Verdict
Witty, touching and ahead of its time.
