Movie Minx

Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, Fred MacMurray
Directed by: Billy Wilder

Plot: An upwardly-mobile office drone begins hiring out his apartment to senior management for their flings in return for promises of a fast-track rise through the company. But things get complicated once his own feelings come into it.

But is it any good?

I like Billy Wilder movies, although I haven’t seen many. I was in hysterics when I watched One, Two, Three. The Apartment isn’t quite as funny - how can it be when it confronts issues like cheating and suicide - but it handles the issues with compassion.

Basically, the film revolves around “Bud” Baxter, a young Manhattenite who is sick of his dull job working in a room with countless other drudges. He wants his own office, dammit, and doesn’t want to wait 20 years to get it! We are urged to see his idea of sharing his apartment with management to have affairs in not as sordid, but an admirable stroke of entrepreneurship. We are even encouraged to feel sorry for him when his bosses don’t leave on time and he has to sleep in the park! Poor little entrepreneur!

However, Bud starts questioning the morality of the situation, not just because he is inconvenienced but because he falls for one of the office elevator girls, who surely must have the most boring job in the world, while she is having it off with the boss. Never!

With a lack of visual effects and many long takes, the film has a play-like feel (it was made into a play later) which allows the actors to make the most of their roles - MacLaine as the sweet, then defeated co-worker and love interest, Lemmon as the young hopeful who becomes disgusted with the whole arrangement and MacMurray as the “all care, no responsibility” boss.

This movie must have been quite shocking for its time. Despite remaining mostly playful, it covers fairly confronting subjects - depression, loneliness, sleazy office Xmas parties and selfishness. The boss is sorry to hear of his mistress’s problems, but he’s got a family to think of. Chin up; he’ll see her at the office bright and early next Monday.

But this is a movie, and it has its fairy-tale ending. No one is perfect, but they all learn a lesson, and come across ultimately as people you care about. Overall it’s a witty, sympathetic and very entertaining film, which I think was rather ahead of its time in revealing the ethos of corporate greed. It won five Oscars.

ImDb’s rating: 8.4/10
My rating: 8/10

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