The Apartment

Any room in the student dorms could tell more interesting stories than this one about a cagey bastard who sucks up to his bosses by lending them a love nest for long winter evenings... But seriously, almost every other review mentioned Lemmon's civility. Which is interesting because I was annoyed by his utter incivility and overacting in an otherwise excellent film (especially the scene with the fever was deserving of chastisement). And it's even more obvious when confronted with the perfectly civil (ehem, ehem) and a charming performance from Shirley MacLaine. She just sits there all the time, while he runs around confusedly waving his arms like in a slapstick movie. (08/08/2010)

I think this is one of those films that is perfect in every way. The perfect blend of romance, humor and drama, the perfect interplay of the central couple (even though they are both so different), the perfect Christmas atmosphere, plenty of memorable moments and especially the pleasant unpredictability of whether it will turn out well or not. After the closing credits, I had to see for myself that The Apartment really lasted two hours. I went by so fast. (01/02/2014)

I thought Baxter wouldn't stand up to his oppressors in the end. I also thought about how it would look nowadays, when he could secretly film them and then blackmail them. Great cast, with Jack Lemmon showing what an incredible performer he is, Shirley demonstrating human imperfection and a desire for affection in the wrong places. Superbly executed until the very end. (01/04/2015)

Drama / Comedy / Romance - I never expect to have fun when I see this combination of genres. Apparently, life still has some surprises up its sleeve for me. I enjoyed the story of a decent, conscientious office worker/love hotel manager. I didn't laugh so hard I cried, but it was an excellent drama that occasionally made me smile. The story was based on a clichéd (but still relevant) relationship between a young woman and an "unhappily" married man, but C.C. Baxter, played by Jack Lemmon, gave this predictable movie a whole other level. I was thrilled to watch every unintentionally cruel sentence uttered by Fran Kubelik tear the heartbroken lover to pieces. He always managed to collect himself, only to be dying in agonizing pain shortly after. Jack Lemmon was perfect, Shirley MacLaine was wonderful and charming, and the movie had much more to offer than it promised, leaving me in a very peculiar mood. I was delighted, hence the five stars. / "Where'll we go? My place or yours?" "Might as well go to mine. Everybody else does." / Lesson learned: Committing suicide in someone else's apartment is extremely inconsiderate. (02/04/2023)

It’s well made, discreet, charming, and soaked in the nostalgia of black and white times. In addition, the film has the excellent central pairing of Lemmon-MacLaine, between whom things spark even without the red-book outbursts and overly cheap gestures. I don't know why, but I had the feeling that Wilder was making a visionary mockery of contemporary love comedies... (28/02/2007)