Paris When it Sizzles
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Movie Reviews of Paris When it Sizzles
Movie Review: Bought as a gift
Summary: 5 Stars
I can't really say much about the product... I bought it for my sister who is an Audrey Hepburn fan and I personally haven't seen the flick...Anyway, cover looks great :-)Movie Review: Great Service
Summary: 5 Stars
Received DVD in a timely manner. Great condition. Would purchase from this buyer again.Movie Review: Fails to heed its own advice...
Summary: 4 Stars
As a whole I found `Paris When it Sizzles' to be far more entertaining than the reviews would have you believe. It was fun and exciting and even breathtaking in scenes, and it never lost your interest for something was constantly going on, but when all was said and done I felt as if the film was truly a missed opportunity. Instead of giving us that `switch' in the end the film merely falls into the clichéd Hollywood ending that the two main characters were fighting so fervently against throughout the entirety of the film.
`Paris When it Sizzles' is a film about a screenwriter who is having trouble finishing his latest film; `The Girl who Stole the Eiffel Tower'. He hires a typist to help him capture his sporadic ideas and thus begins the journey through screenwriting that is `Paris When it Sizzles'. Having a mere day to finish the film, both Richard and Gabrielle spout ideas off one another, acting them out in countless fantasy sequences. `The Girl who Stole the Eiffel Tower' shifts from love story to gangster film to horror film, each sequence just as entertaining as the last and each scene containing the `switch on a switch on a switch' to make it interesting and absorbing.
But that's also where the films falls apart; in the `switch on a switch' department. Throughout the film Richard is informing Gabrielle on the importance of always including a switch, to keep the audience guessing, but director Richard Quine, and more importantly writers Duvivier and Jeanson, didn't realize the importance of including a switch in their own film. Instead the film ends like almost every other romantic comedy out there.
Many have noted that Holden and Hepburn didn't seem to have the greatest of chemistry in the film, which is a plus and a minus. It aids in their fictional character development (as in when they are in their fantasy world) but it struggles to establish any real connection when they are simply playing Richard and Gabrielle. Thus, in the end, their inevitable romance is slightly unbelievable.
I will admit that `Paris When it Sizzles' is not a trainwreck, but it isn't anything special or new either. It had major potential, and the whole fantasy aspect of the film is enthralling, but the film sadly dwindles down to a predictable conclusion. If they had included that much desired `switch' in the end it would have garnered an `A' from me, but it's lack there of leaves it with a low `B'. Hepburn is always delightful (and thank god she isn't singing in this one), and Holden is a desirable leading man, even when he doesn't seem to interested in you, so their presence doesn't hurt the film at all. This film is unfairly attacked for the wrong reasons. It's pure entertainment, and for that it should be lauded. It's just not as original as it tries to be; and for that it should be reprimanded.
Movie Review: Paris When It Sizzles - Great Fun
Summary: 4 Stars
Paris When It Sizzles follows a writer played by William Holden who has to get a script finished within two days. He gets the help of the lovely Audrey Hepburn. Together they digg deeply in their minds, making up the most ridicilous but oh so fun stories, as they try to succeed in completing a story they can deliver to the waiting movieproducer...
After being together on the screen in the romantic comedy Sabrina (1954), William Holden and Audrey Hepburn team up once again to bring a nice sixties comedy with Paris when it Sizzles. The chemistry between the two is nice and together they take you through the exciting world of movie writting. It is real fun to see how they come up with the most ridicilous stories. From Dracula to spies in trenchcoats, from planes to indians, it's all in their wonderful made up stories.
Considering the acting, the film is fine. William Holden was nicely cast as the writer Richard Benson. He plays the role with great enthusiasm and is also charming. With Audrey Hepburn you just can't go wrong. Even if the movie is bad, her charm makes you respect it. Her role in this film is pure fun as she also acts enthusiastic next to Holden. You can see that she had a lot of fun portraying her character.
They may react a bit unrealistic to one another sometimes, it is an absolute joy to see it. Especially as they play the main characters in their own stories with fun overreacted acting.
Another fun fact is that there are cameo roles of famous fifties and sixties moviestars in the film. If you watch alot of movies out of this period, you will be delightfully surprised by the familiar faces.
Also, the locations are colorful, the music is fun, which gives a great atmosphere and enjoyable 60's movie entertainment.
This film is definitely a must see for want to be future Writers. There is alot to learn from this film. But if you are just in search of some nice 60's fun on a boring night, I would recommend you this film also. Be surprised by the switch on a switch on a switch, and enjoy the funny comedic sizzling stories these two come up with.
Movie Review: Stupid, but still has fun moments...
Summary: 4 Stars
There's so much to say. I saw this in 1964 when it was first released, and thought to myself that George Axelrod was having writer's block, so he wrote a movie about it. Richard Quine directed most of the bubbly comedies in the 60's (which are now justifiably forgotten), and this is almost one of them. There are many things, however, that make this film compelling to a film aficianado (as I like to think of myself). The acting is unforgivably hammy, but the hamminess is energetic. Let's not forget that Hepburn (Roman Holiday) and Holden (Stalag 13), both won the top acting Oscars in 1953, and they were paired the following year by the great Billy Wilder in "Sabrina". There, they had absolute chemistry; 10 years later...where'd it go? There are an awful lot of very clever one-liners. I liked most of them. Especially clever was when she was chased around the table by the vampire, and terrific product placement has a bottle of Heinz Steak Sauce visible. There are clever cameos from Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich, Tony Curtis and Frank Sinatra (vocal). Unfortunately, clever one-liners do not make a plot. There really isn't one. Still, it's some great actors having more fun than the viewer. Hepburn is quite radiant; Holden still has charm (mixed with smarm). There's also Fred Astaire singing "That Face", which I think is original for this film. Not a bad song. Referring to Audrey, the song is appropriate. She never looked so beautiful, even in "My Fair Lady", released the same year. I guess it's a pretty lousy film overall, though production values are high. The DVD has a nice 1.85:1 LBX, though Paramount had VistaVision, which was wider (20th Century Fox had Cinemascope, United Artists had Panavision, etc). The price is right, but if you want to really watch great actors chew up scenery, hammy 'n all, wait for the DVD release of "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte". It might happen...It's a GREAT display of film-making and production values. As a film achievement, "Paris When It Sizzles" ...fizzles...