The Apartment Review

SPOILERS

Number 101 on the top 1000 films of all time is Billy Wilder's romantic comedy The Apartment (1960.)

C.C Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is an office drone working in a big New-York based insurance company.  He begins to curry favour with his directors when he allows them to use his apartment for their extramarital affairs.  Happy with the attention and adulation he receives, he allows them to continually do this, indifferent to their actions.  That is until his personnel director Mr Sheldrake (Fred Macmurray) takes an interest in the life attendant Fran Kubelik (Shirley Maclaine.) Baxter has his own attraction to Kubelik and seeing Sheldrake's interest in her, finally decides to take action.

I feel lie the Apartment is only a film that could have come out in the 60's or at least before the second and third waves of feminism.  In today's politically correct culture, I think that it would be crucified for its obvious sexism.  The directors are romanticised for their extra-marital affairs and Sheldrake slaps Kubelik's arse when he leaves the lift.  This isn't a film for the easily offended.

This is more of an observation than a criticism, because I did enjoy the film.  As IMDB user Cwelty1 points out, The Apartment "isn't the laugh out loud comedy of Jim Carrey or the Farelly brothers, but a subtle, nuanced comedy about two people who have been jaded in love," which is a very appropriate description.  There are definitely some funny moments such as how Baxter's neighbours view him as a player who knows how to keep the ladies happy, but he is also an empathetic character who I came to root for.

This was partly because of Jack Lemmon's great performance of him.  It is obvious from the start that he is a good, but flawed and lonely man.  He is a people-pleaser, unable to say no and readily accepting his rewards for helping his directors conduct their private business.  This is what makes his transformation great to watch.  Within Fran Kudelik, he finally finds something worth fighting for.  Mr Seldrake promotes Baxter to an executive assistant position, accompanied with his own office and other privileges.  However, the film concludes with Baxter giving everything up, as he quits his job to be with Fran.

Jack Lemmon was great as the reluctant hero Baxter and Fred Macmurray was very good as the villainous Mr Seldrake.  Whilst he might not be your typical big bad villain, he is most definitely the villain of this piece.  Macmurray played Mr Seldrake as the sleazebag that he was.  Charismatic and charming, but definitely a sleazebag.  He manipulates Fran into believing that he is leaving his wife for her, but he is lying.  He is telling the same lie that he has told to the long line of women who came before Fran.  Seldrake's callousness extends further when he makes no effort to help Fran after she overdoses on sleeping pills.  It is Baxter who helps her going so far to cover Seldrake's arse.

All in all, this romantic comedy is a funny and entertaining film, which emphasises the importance of standing up and fighting for what you love.