Sabrina

A lot of things work together to make this an entertaining and satisfying picture. With Billy Wilder's story-telling skill, Audrey Hepburn's unsurpassed charm, plenty of talent in the rest of the cast, and a worthwhile story, there is a lot of credit to go around.

The story is based the kind of interesting but slight premise that Wilder handles masterfully, and as a result the story is filled with both funny moments and thoughtful moments, all of which work well. There is a variety of well-chosen settings, always interesting but never pretentious.

Bogart and Holden both play their roles flawlessly. The two of them make an interesting combination with Hepburn, and it works even better than you could hope. John Williams also plays the proper English chauffeur as few others could have. There are also a number of good moments for the others in the supporting cast.

With all the other strengths, it may still be Hepburn's picture most of all.

In "Sabrina", she has a role that allows her quite a variety of scenes as her character grows and changes. It plays to all of her strengths, and makes Hepburn herself the most appealing aspect of an enjoyable and well-crafted picture.

Sabrina (1954)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Insanely delightful romantic-comedy from Billy Wilder about Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn), a chauffeur's daughter who has always loved David Larrabee (William Holden), the son of the man her father works for. When she returns from Paris the youngest son begins to have a thing for her but he's promised to another woman and there's a major deal on the line. Older and much more mature brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart) decides to take Sabrina out until the deal is complete but soon he finds himself falling in love.

Wilder made so many great movies in his career that it's easy to overlook some of the ones that are meerly "good" or very good. SABRINA is a film that often gets overlooked when one discusses the director's career and that's a little shocking because this is an extremely good movie that works on all levels. Not only is the film extremely funny but it's incredibly romantic, charming and the director's master touch is scattered throughout the material. Not to mention you've also got three legends in the picture!

To me the film shows what a brilliant director Wilder was because it's true that the story is pretty much a small fairy tale that Hollywood did every year. There was always some sort of romance dealing with a dreaming girl and an overworked man who put love on the back burner. Wilder's touches throughout the film are obvious and it's really remarkable to see how well this material works. As I said, there are some very funny moments scattered throughout the picture but there's also a bit of intensity because you really do want to see the story work in the favor of the Bogart character. The way Wilder managed to make the romance work so well is a real strong inducator to what type of director he was.

As far as the cast goes, rumor has it that Bogart hated this role and the movie because he felt he was too old to be romancing such a young girl. You know, he was probably right but the film is so well-made and the performances are so great that this here really isn't an issue as you watch the picture. Bogart really comes across well here and he manages to play the broken-hearted quite well. Hepburn is wonderfully charming in a type of role that she is best remembered for. Bogart and Hepburn certainly have a burning chemistry that jumps off the screen. Holden is also extremely funny in his bit as the playboy. There's also some great supporting performances from John Williams, Walter Hampden and Francis X. Bushman.

SABRINA does run on a bit too long but there's still no question that Wilder does a fantastic job, the romance is perfect and the three leads are simply divine.

Audrey Hepburn as a mousy chauffeur's daughter? Yes, and she's beguiling trying to gas herself in the garage (before quickly cracking a window) because gorgeous, rich playboy William Holden doesn't notice her. But it's nothing that a little time away in Paris won't cure... Hepburn is absolutely radiant in this picture: dark brows over big Bambi eyes, sensual, flirtatious lips, and that long, long neck. She embodies the spirit of the Cinderella heroine, and director Billy Wilder milks her gamine appeal for all the millions it is worth. Holden is blithe and lively, and Humphrey Bogart manages to make his stuffy unease rather charming. Clever, biting, romantic, sweet, this version of "Sabrina" has it all. ***1/2 from ****

The romantic comedy genre isn't one I usually gravitate towards but since it did star two of my all time favorite actors, Bogart and Holden, it was required viewing for me. I enjoyed the movie immensely despite some issues I had with the plausibility of Sabrina's transformation. The film is moving, thanks mostly to Linus's restrained courting and Sabrina's relationship with her father, and there are wonderful comic moments, thanks to Holden's perfectly timed wise quips and lighthearted nature which clash with the senior Larabee's pragmatism. Hepburn is as charming here as she is in Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany's. The ending makes perfect sense given David's commitment problems and the fact that in my opinion Elizabeth seems more alluring than Sabrina, though our heroine is perfect for Linus. Terrific film, 9/10.

Billy Wilder, a genius when it came to adapting films from another medium, teamed up with Samuel Taylor, who wrote the play, "Sabrina's Fair", and Ernest Lehman, to create a a delightful comedy that will remain an old favorite because of the great charm the creative men imbued this movie with.

Some comments on this forum remark about the disparity of age between Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn. They all seem to forget that Ms. Hepburn played opposite with men much older than her, namely, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Rex Harrison, Fred Astaire, Gregory Peck, just to name a few. The actress was always effective and showed she had an enormous charisma no matter who was her leading man.

"Sabrina" looks as good today, as when it was first released thanks to the timeless black and white photography of Charles Lang. The big asset of the film was the unusual pairing between Humphrey Bogart and Audrey Hepburn. Both actors were wonderful together, as we witness in the film. William Holden, as the younger Larrabee, is excellent as well.

The film is a delightful comedy that, in comparison to Sidney Pollack's misguided and undistinguished attempt to bring it to the screen can't even compare with the witty and elegant film Mr. Wilder gave us.