Sabrina
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Movie Reviews of Sabrina
Movie Review: Old Time Favorite
Summary: 5 Stars
While the remade "Sabrina" with Harrison Ford is okay, this version with Audrey Hepburn, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart is my all time favorite. I can watch it over and over. The fashions are classic, the acting great..some of the lines are memorable and I love the song "La Vie en Rose" Of course, I am a fan of old classic movies, especially black and white.Movie Review: Sabrina fair
Summary: 5 Stars
Everybody loves a good Cinderella story, especially if it has a dash of realism and a sense of humour. And unbaked souffles.
And methinks it also helps the case if you have Audrey Hepburn as the modern Cinderella-with-a-wit, which is the strongest point in the charming little romance called "Sabrina." While the chemistry between Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart is never entirely believable, the movie is as buoyant and whimsical as a summer daydream, but with way better dialogue ("Bounce please, ladies").
Sabrina Fairchild (Hepburn) is the daughter of the chauffeur at the palatial Larabee estate. She's also in love with the ne'er-do-well second son, David (William Holden) -- and even attempts suicide after seeing him with one of his many girlfriends, although she's rescued by David's stiff older brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart). The next day Sabrina is sent away to Paris to attend a cooking school, where she meets a kindly old count who teaches her sophistication, ambition and confidence... as well as the ability to make a souffle properly ("A woman happily in love, she burns the souffle. A woman unhappily in love, she forgets to turn on the oven!").
When she returns to the Larabees' estate, the lovelorn little chauffeur's daughter has become a clever sophisticated Parisian beauty (and a pretty good cook). David is instantly smitten. But even if marrying a chauffeur's daughter were okay with his family, Linus has arranged a business marriage for David for the family's newest innovation, which requires large amounts of sugar. And to make sure David doesn't run off with Sabrina, Linus begins wooing her too... and falling in love for real.
"Sabrina" is one of those shimmering romantic comedies that Hollywood once succeeded in whipping together every now and then, and which they now desperately try to imitate with cutesy scripts and arch performances. No such artificiality is present in this movie, though -- it's just a relaxed little romance that ambles through a predictable little plot, and is content to let itself to be illuminated by Hepburn's presence. No gimmicks, no cutesiness.
Part of "Sabrina's" charm is the way Billy Wilder handles the comedy aspect of it -- rather than playing everything for laughs, he simply lets the laughs fall like a shower of petals. There are some laugh-out-loud moments (David sitting on a pair of champagne flutes, and having to lie in a hammock with a cut-out for his injured bottom) but most of the humour is gentle and mildly mocking, such as Mr. Larabee standing in his son's closet so he can have a smoke. And the dialogue adapted from Samuel A. Taylor's play is no less adorable ("You make it sound so vulgar, David, as if the son of hot dog dynasty were being offered in marriage to the daughter of the mustard king").
And perhaps what makes "Sabrina" a really heartwarming experience is the sunny, hopeful attitude. Despite starting with an attempted suicide (which is thwarted in a very tongue-in-cheek manner), the movie soon decides to "throw open the windows and letting in... letting in la vie en rose." It's all about having dreams come true by refusing to run away from love or life, and being open to the suddenly curve balls that they throw you.
But even so, the movie would only be a sweet featherlight curiosity if it weren't for Audrey Hepburn, who was only in her second major movie. She's absolutely transcendent in her role -- bursting with sweetness, enthusiasm, confidence and an almost gleeful joie de vivre. And while she's never entirely convincing as a plain teenager, she is magnificent as a confident, stylish young lady who sweeps into a moneyed party in a black-and-white ball gown. And steals the show, of course.
And the cast supporting her is pretty brilliant -- William Holden is full of sprightly charm as David, Walter Hampden is hilarious as the brittle henpecked Larabee patriarch, and John Williams is quietly solid as Sabrina's long-suffering dad. Humphrey Bogart's gruff, slightly angular Linus is a nice foil for the exuberant Sabrina, but there's pretty much zero chemistry between the two leads. Perhaps it's because Bogart didn't like Hepburn in real life, or maybe their styles just didn't click.
"Sabrina" is a frothy, romantic little tale about reaching for the moon, filled with sparkling dialogue and still-fresh comedy. But its crowning gem is Hepburn, whose early performances showed what a brilliant actress she was.
Movie Review: My favorite Audrey
Summary: 5 Stars
I think I've seen most of Audrey Hepburn's movies and this is my favorite. Throw in my favorite male classic actor, Humphrey Bogart and it's an unforgettable combination. The story, clothes and chemistry can't be missed. Movie Review: Sabrina
Summary: 5 Stars
Really enjoyed this movie; watched it four times! Happy to have it as a part of my permanant collection.Movie Review: Can understand its appeal
Summary: 4 Stars
*** spoilers ***
Sure, it's sentimatental, predictable, sappy, and you name it. Yes, it is a piece of fluff, but a very well executed piece of fluff. The actors are well defined, as Sabrina tries to woo her childhood crush as Linus makes tries to wean her away so as to make a political marriage happen for the sake of his business. Of course, guess who falls in love with her also, and guess who Sabrina swoons for at the end? I know, real difficult.
What makes this movie excellent in the incredibly witty dialogue, especaially Linus. Though It's unrealistic Sabrina would fall for Linus given his age, the amount of time together, and the extent of her crush on his brother, one doesn't really care because it's so well done.