Having signed a contract to write the screenplay for the latest blockbuster by movie producer Alexander Meyerheim (Noel Coward), writer Richard Benson (William Holden) has had a year to write something, but is yet to deliver anything.
From his hotel room in Paris, Benson hires a secretary from the local typing pool to help him get a script typed. Gabrielle Simpson (Audrey Hepburn) shows up, ready to work, only to find that he hasn’t written a single page; he barely even knows what the script will be about.
And so, the two of them together must brainstorm an entire screenplay in only two days. And as they come up with their ideas, we also see the ‘film’ they are writing, with the two of them as the two leads.
Also ‘featuring’ in the film they write - a film called ‘The Girl who Stole the Eiffel Tower’ - are Police Inspector Gilet (Grégoire Aslan) and a Tony Curtis lookalike named Maurice (Tony Curtis).
The script for this film, by George Axelrod, is very clever. As already mentioned, it serves as a masterclass in screenwriting, while also being incredibly funny and well-paced and plotted. The characters are all well-developed, with sufficient internal and external conflicts throughout.
Nelson Riddle’s score is well done as well, and never overpowering.
The cinematography, by Charles Lang Jr., is another facet of this film that is very cleverly done. There are significant portions of the film where the camera does not cut away, but rather moves through and around the action in a very intimate way, bringing the viewer into the centre of the scenes in a magnificent way.
There are many beautiful shots of the streets of Paris, and the city’s surrounds. And so, in this way, the film could also serve as a tourism piece for Paris itself. In fact, the city is almost a character of its own in the film; it is certainly an integral part of the overall plot.
The performances of the cast - in particular Holden and Hepburn - are superb. Holden especially shows his ability in scenes that - as mentioned above - are shot in one long camera motion. He maintains his character throughout these moments in such a way as to really drive home the reality of his persona.
There is even a short cameo from Marlene Dietrich, in a very funny sequence as the two leads are trying to find the right starting point for their script. Speaking of which, there is even a snippet of a ‘title song’ sung by Frank Sinatra that is very clever and funny.
Director Richard Quine has made a very enjoyable film, one that I am sure I will be watching again soon. Check it out for yourself if you haven’t seen it before, it is definitely a classic, and the cast are all amazing.
8 out of 10.
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