7/10
Classic comedy by the great Billy Wilder with funny scenes , clever acting and amusement
2 May 2013
Legendary comedy masterpiece from filmmaker Billy Wilder and screenwriter George Axelrod that won various Golden Globe nominations . It packs a top-drawer duo protagonist , Marylyn Monroe and Tom Ewell , and a splendid secondary cast formed by a variety of notorious actors who make sympathetic interpretations . When his family , wife (Evelyn Keyes) and son , goes away for the summer, a so far faithful husband (Tom Ewell) is tempted by a beautiful neighbor (Marilyn Monroe) , a blonde model who moves upstairs . Understandably he gets itchy . Soon , the known but abortive relationship with his blond neighbor and his wolfish dreams coming to nothing in the face of her ingeniousness and his own ineptitude .

Rightly enjoyable and fun-filled , milestone comedy which neatly combines humor , mirth , entertaining situations and amusement . This noisy comedy is intelligently and pleasingly written to gives us lots of fun , laughters and smiles . This is the funniest comedy since laughter began , it is mordantly funny and todays considered a real classic movie . Billy Wilder kept the studio Twentieth Century Fox happy , the picture consistently made money and was hit at box office . Flawless comedy with a duo of sensational protagonists , including an unforgettable Marilyn who parades sexily at her best and more relaxed and enticing than ever , she tickles and tantalizes . Adding , of course , the funniest sequences of all being those in which Monroe's blown skirt and those in which Tom Ewell dreams as the great lover .Despite being one of the most iconic images in pop culture history, as well as one of the most recognizable photographs of Marilyn Monroe, the famous full-length image of Monroe standing with her dress being blown up never actually appears in the film ; the shot used in the film is only of her legs, cut with reaction shots, and never shown full-length. The hit of the show is undoubtedly for the fetching Marilyn Monroe who gives one of the best screen acting . Magnificent performance from Tom Ewell as an angst-ridden forty-years-old husband left alone while his spouse go off on holiday . Tom Ewell won the 1953 Tony Award for Actor in a Drama for "The Seven Year Itch" in the role of Richard Sherman, which he reprised in this film . Furthermore , an attractive support cast giving appealing interpretations such as Robert Strauss , Oscar Homolka , Carolyn Jones , Sonny Tuffs and Evelyn Keyes .

This sexy motion picture was very well directed by Billy Wilder who includes several punchlines . Billy was one of the best directors of history . In 1939 started the partnership with Charles Bracket on such movies as ¨Ninotchka¨ , ¨Ball of fire¨ , making their film debut as such with ¨Major and the minor¨ . ¨Sunset Boulevard¨ was their last picture together before they split up . Later on , Billy collaborated with another excellent screenwriter IAL Diamond . Both of them won an Academy Award for ¨Stalag 17¨ dealing with a POW camp starred by William Holden . After that , they wrote/produced/directed such classics as ¨Ace in the hole¨ , the touching romantic comedy ¨Sabrina¨ , the Hickcoktian courtroom puzzle game ¨Witness for the prosecution¨ and two movies with the great star Marilyn Monroe , the warmth ¨Seven year itch¨ and this ¨Some like hot¨. All of them include screenplays that sizzle with wit . But their biggest success and highpoint resulted to be the sour and fun ¨¨The apartment¨. Subsequently in the 60s and 70s , the duo fell headlong into the pit , they realized nice though unsuccessful movies as ¨Buddy buddy¨ ,¨Fedora¨ , ¨Front page¨ and ¨Secret life of Sherlock Holmes¨, though the agreeable ¨Avanti¨ slowed the decline . The team had almost disappeared beneath a wave of bad reviews and failures . ¨The seven year itch¨ rating : Above average , essential and indispensable watching ; extremely funny and riveting film and completely entertaining . It justly deserves its place among the best comedy ever made . One of the very funniest films of all time and to see and see again . It's the kind of movie where you know what's coming but , because the treatment , enjoy it all the same .
10 out of 18 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed