Paris When It Sizzles (1964)

Fails to heed its own advice...

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. September 3, 2008

Not Quite Charming Enough

This film far from captures the spirit of Paris, even on a bad day. I was excited about this film, because I am a huge fan of both Hepburn and Holden, but the end result was disappointing.

William Holden hires a temporary secretary, Audrey Hepburn, to help him complete his latest screenplay. Half of the movie is spent imagining silly plots for the script, and the other half is spent watching the alcoholic writer woo the oh-so-sweet secretary. Spoiler: In the end, of course, Holden gets the girl.

Trust me, you've seen it. In fact, the plot is so stale, they had to throw in the silly twist: the script within the script. Although Holden and Hepburn are always magical, this movie drags. July 7, 2008

The Sleeper Hit Of Hepburn's Career

I had never heard of this film until I recently saw it as the in-flight movie on a jet. Now I own it. It's a very nice romantic comedy, with a surreal edge to it. Also there are some cameos by big stars to look out for. Audrey Hepburn absolutely never looked as beautiful as she does here in Paris When It Sizzles. It may not have the depth of some of her other movies, but this one is a lot of fun. April 23, 2008

Wake me when it gets to the "Sizzle" part

This is another one of Audrey's stinkers. It starts off dumb and then gets silly. Apparently, it was supposed to be a sophisicated comedy with a lot of surprising cameos and witty dialog. It fails over and over.

Both Audrey and William Holden would and could do much better things.

It just gets progressively worse. April 15, 2008

Ah, l'amour!

For anyone who has seen Alex & Emma, this movie was the inspiration. I would say though, that it's a much better adaption of the story with some old fashioned premises to carry it along. I thoroughly enjoyed it! April 2, 2008

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