Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Breakfast at Tiffany's

When a movie achieves iconic status, now and then it's clear as to why they're so iconic just from first glance. Other times, you need to watch the movie to understand why.

Take for example Blake Edwards' Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's mainly iconic for the style and glamour Audrey Hepburn displays but underneath all the glitz, it's a much darker tale. It isn't just a love story; it's about a woman's hopes to become something big.

Throughout Breakfast at Tiffany's, we find out more about Holly Golightly (Hepburn) and her past. Holly is different from other Hepburn roles because she's more self-absorbed. She only has hopes of marrying someone rich. She's not interested in feelings. At least until Paul Varjak (George Peppard) shows up.

Breakfast at Tiffany's is pretty good, though I think it's a tad overrated. I mean, as I mentioned, it's considered a love story when it's more than that. Performance wise, I liked Hepburn but I really liked Patricia Neal. (If you're wondering, yes, I found Mickey Rooney's role offensive.) In short, I liked it but not as much as most everyone else does.

My Rating: ****1/2

3 comments:

  1. This isn't my fave Audrey Hepburn film (that'd be Roman Holiday), but the fashion in this one is definitely iconic. Audrey's beauty is still one to top even today as she seems to have inner beauty lots of actresses are lacking today.

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  2. I agree. I liked it alot when I first saw it in 8th grade...but I also didn't understand it. Since I was still pretty young I didn't pick up on the fact that she was an escort or the drug smuggling references. I thought, "Wait what is she getting arrested for?"
    Obviously I get it now haha, but I wonder if all of these young girls who worship the film see it for more than the fantastic Givenchy wardrobe. On a side note, I love Mancini's score (though everything he does is fanastic).
    I agree with you about Mickey Rooney's role (don't like him anyways) but he acts pretty ridiculous.
    Whites dressing as Asians is more expected in the 1920s-1940s (http://cometoverhollywood.com/2010/11/21/classic-film-in-daily-life-classic-film-in-ethics-paper/) but by the 1960s it is a little surprising-especially with the way the world was changing so much

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  3. I agree, it is overrated, but there are some really nice elements there: Audrey Hepburn (her looks, manners, style etc), the music, the sets...If you like Hepburn, check out Roman Holiday or Sabrina!

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