★ 7 / 10
Audrey Hepburn is at the top of her
CinemaSerf
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…
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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★ 7 / 10
I don’t know how I went this long
Peter McGinn
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…
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.
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★ 8 / 10
Great Art or Guilty Pleasure?
smc71
I am never sure which Breakfast at Tiffany's is. I can certainly think of movies which more accurately portray the human condition, but of few that are more…
I am never sure which Breakfast at Tiffany's is. I can certainly think of movies which more accurately portray the human condition, but of few that are more fun.
Neither Holly nor Paul seem to represent real people. Their attraction, which is the focal point of the movie, is a character unto itself. Paul sees Holly as scared, vulnerable, and in need of rescue and enjoys his role as potential knight in shining armor to her damsel in distress. She is drawn to him because he sees beyond her facade of fabulousness to the scared little girl she is inside and which she tries (not that hard really at all) to hide. Adding to her attraction to him is the fact that he stands up to her when she treats him shoddily. This probably does not happen to her too often, and it intrigues her.
These are mostly the tricks a romance novelist uses to keep readers baited and rooting for a fictional, possibly doomed romance to work and do not reflect the real nature of love. There is, however, enough chemistry, genuine affection, and respect between the two characters to keep the story from seeming utterly implausible.
Of course, a movie doesn't have to be realistic to realistically portray what is right and what is wrong with the world we live in. Breakfast at Tiffany's doesn't do a whole lot of that either, though. After watching I can never pinpoint one solid message from it.
What it does have a lot of, as many others have pointed out, is stylish, witty, good fun. This is almost always the movie I choose on the rare occasions when my husband is working late, my son is asleep, I have energy to spare and good bottle of wine just begging to be uncorked. Believable or not, it is well-told and compelling, and remains one of the better movies a gal can lose herself in.
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A beautiful classic! Thanks YTS!