Time: 125 Minutes
Age Rating: PG
Cast:
Jack Lemmon as Calvin Clifford (CC) Baxter
Shirley MacLaine as Fran Kubelik
Fred MacMurray as Jeff D. Sheldrake
Ray Walston as Joe Dobisch
Edie Adams as Miss Olsen
Director: Billy Wilder

I once saw The Apartment some years ago after hearing about how great it was, and it actually lived up to all the acclaim. I was able to rewatch The Apartment at the local film society, and it was even better on a second viewing.

Right from the beginning, The Apartment is smart, delightful and funny. The humour is sharp and hilarious and the dialogue is witty, which is combined with the serious tragedy, loneliness and sadness, and was also a very romantic film.

The acting is pretty much perfect with wonderful performances, and amazing chemistry between everyone, and much of the cast makes impressions in some ways. Jack Lemmon is fantastic, he balances comedy and drama with perfect comic timing, and makes for a charming, lonely, and reasonably sympathetic likable protagonist. Shirley MacLaine is equally great, and was really the heart of this movie.

Billy Wilder’s direction is top notch. The black and white cinematography is great with stellar shot composition, and the minimalist production design is effective. 

The Apartment is a humorous, delightful, and enjoyable romantic comedy, written and directed excellently by Billy Wilder, and performed excellently by Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Remains a classic.