Audrey Hepburn Review Series Part 3

My ever-brilliant mother correctly observed, one summer, that me and my siblings were wasting away our time watching crappy movies like... So to sort of lead us to the right direction (read: movies that made sense, to say the least) without literally telling us to what to watch, she bought this Audrey Hepburn movie collection. My siblings refused to be fooled. I did not. I was as curious as a moth to a flame. For some reason I cannot recall, I watched Charade first. And the rest is... well, you'll read about it here, here and here.


Love in the Afternoon. I skipped a couple of Audrey Hepburn movies in the timeline just because they seemed boring. Or maybe, they were just too serious for summer viewing. This 1957 movie follows Roman Holiday and Sabrina in the black-and-white category. For me, its plot (a detective daughter saves a "gigolo"-if you may-from the wrath of a cheated-on husband and falls in love with him as the story goes on) is below average, boring and predictable. It stars a relatively-unknown-today Gary Cooper opposite Hepburn, who is still young (and it shows) in this movie, and Maurice Chevalier as the detective-father.

There are two things I semi-loved in the movie: 1) Audrey shows some cello-playing moves. Another talent up her arsenal. 2) It's funny in a not-so-funny way. I liked the scene where the drunken Frank and the gypsies were passing drinks (Frank fills their glasses) on a busyboy across the room while they were playing, and yet they continued playing.

Kissing under a piano chair.

For me the movie is neither good nor bad. I don't feel hate or love, just semi-love or semi-hate--lukewarm.

How to Steal A Million. Again, I skipped the chronological order and three Audrey movies (three from the ones we have at home) when I chose to watch this 1966 film. Well, it intrigued me because a screencap from this movie was the featured scene of the DVD collection. Gets?

Good poster.

PETER O'TOOLE IS THE BEST AUDREY HEPBURN LEADING MAN EVER! I haven't watched half of her movies but for now, this is my judgment. He's "the best" for Audrey because: 1) They're of the same age. Or at least, appears to be. 2) He has the boyish charm I find perfectly appropriate for Audrey's classic one. 3) He acts so effortlessly with Audrey (I have yet to watch a film of his--but I will.) 4) He is simply, the boy-the-next-door surrounded by all fatherly-looking-and-acting gentlemen of his time. In Pinoyspeak, sila ang tambalan ng taon!

The adorable Peter O'Toole

Aside from obviously-loving Peter O'Toole, I loved: 1) The movie's plot, that it revolves around art--a forger amongst museums, auctions and authenticity. 2) The cast were all entertaining and performed their roles to a T. Audrey as Nicole Bonnet, O'Toole as Simon Dermott and special mention goes to Hugh Griffith as Charles Bonnet.

Peter O'Toole + Audrey Hepburn: I wonder what their modern portmanteau  be.