Customer Reviews

Love in the Afternoon [VHS]

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

With two of Hollywood's most glamorous stars, and (despite the silly plot) a sharp and witty script, this film is an evergreen, and one I never tire of watching.
Audrey Hepburn is enchanting as the spunky "Thin Girl", a cello student who falls in love with a millionaire playboy bachelor, played with grace and charm (and quite a bit of humor) by Gary Cooper. Hepburn was 28 at the time, and looked younger, Cooper was 56, and looked perhaps older, but despite the age difference, their chemistry together sparkles and sizzles.

The romantic cat and mouse game played by Hepburn to intrigue and win Cooper's heart is all very innocent and sweet, and I always shed a few tears at the magical ending.
Maurice Chevalier as Hepburn's father, a private detective specializing in matters of love and deception is fabulous, and gets most of the funny lines, and John McGiver, as one of Chevalier's jealous husband clients, is also very amusing.

The b & w cinematography by William Mellor is exceptional, and how the camera loves Audrey, looking exquisite in an array of beautiful gowns. There is also a quartet called "The Gypsies", who serenade the lovers throughout the film with some terrific czardas, and the melodic song "Fascination".
Light, frothy, and thoroughly enjoyable, this is one of Billy Wilder's most delightful films, and it's a treasure for Hepburn and Cooper fans.
Total running time is 130 minutes.

The common criticism of this delightful film is that Gary Cooper, one of the icons of Hollywood, was "too old" to play the lead against the youthful Audrey Hepburn. This is, quite frankly, ludicrous and almost laughable. Though Coop was 56 when the movie was filmed, he was still incredibly handsome, well-preserved, thin and as sexy as he had been in his prime. There isn't a single moment where the viewer would doubt that this man wasn't utterly believable in the role or womanizer and seducer extraodinaire. Audrey Hepburn would have been a fool to turn her nose up at this choice male animal, even if he was 30 years her senior.

Coop and Hepburn's scenes together are all marvelous, especially the famous film-ending train scene, this one still makes one's toes curl, even after 20+ viewings over the years. Maurice Chevalier is also charming in his role as Audrey's father. The music, script and stellar direction by Billy Wilder make this an essential movie to watch, to own, and to treasure.

I loved this movie lots! Despite the difference of age between Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper I think they made a real cute couple. Audrey is perfect, how can you not love her? Of all her films, this is one of my favorites, it's funny and yet very romantic. And Maurice Chevalier is great as Audrey's beloved father. So, if you're a Audrey Hepburn fan and also a hopeless romantic -I'd rather say hopeful, though -, you'll love this movie. Let's put it this way: if you don't have it, buy it now! You won't regret it!

Billy Wilder have done it again. This romantic comedy is so enchanting and playful that no one could ever leave their seats until the movie finishes. The long-time partnership of Billy Wilder and Audrey Hepburn has always been magnificent. Billy knows what kind of movie Audrey would fit in. Still young enough to play the youthful Arianne, Love in the Afternoon is set in the enchacting city of Paris, where romance is found everywhere as Maurice Chevalier narates in the beginning of the film. This is one movie that is impossible to remake without the cinematic charisma of the two lead actors, Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper, and the directorial genius of Billy Wilder. They are simply irreplaceable.

Audrey Hepburn (who was an excellent actor and an even better human being) MADE HER FILM CAREER by playing the sweet young thing opposite the much older man. Seriously, people, how can you try, sentence and condemn this film because "Gary Cooper is too old for her," but talk about how much you love films like Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, Charade, or even lesser movies like Sabrina or War and Peace?

Humphrey Bogart: 30 years older.
Gary Cooper: 27 years older.
Henry Fonda: 24 years older.
Burt Lancaster: 16 years older.
Cary Grant: 25 years older.
Rex Harrison: 21 years older.
Gregory Peck: 13 years older (but when she was only 25 and he was pushing 40).

If you can relook at the film for what it is, you find one of Billy Wilder's good, but hardly great pictures.

Many of the qualities that make Wilder one of the greats--a strong central cast, well-oiled comedic timing and engaging dramatic pacing--are present and accounted for. Cooper plays an excellent smirking, older lothario (hardly an uncommon trope it the annals of American film, so get over it) in a daring, but well-acted departure from the Will Kane/Longfellow Deeds mold. Maurice Chevalier tones down the croaking Frenchman routine to play a subtle and endearing character, despite his obnoxious occupation. And Audrey Hepburn delivers a remarkably self-controlled performance in what was doubtless a difficult role to assume.

The gypsy band and the comedy of errors are vintage Wilder. Ditto for the typically 'Wilderian' pace, which never lags, and never goes too long without a joke. All of Wilder's story-telling signatures are there, especially his career-long preoccupation with the qualities that make up 'human decency,' and, despite his generally cynical take on modern American life (at home and abroad), his aptitude for teasing out a satisfying romantic ending.

A movie is not always the sum of its parts; a great cast and a strong script can make for a disastrous picture if not assembled properly. Wilder, even when working with inferior material (I'm thinking especially of some of HIS OWN weaker scripts) could never be accused of shoddy directing. And Love in the Afternoon is, above all, well-assembled.

Its script is not as daring or captivating as Double Indemnity's, nor as moving and utterly human as the Apartment's. It's on-location filming is not as impressive as is Ace in the Hole's, nor as memorable as The Long Weekend's (remember Ray Milland's agonizing pawn shop hunt?). Wilder made good use, initially, of the Place Vendôme, but otherwise he fails to make the most of what Paris has to offer.

It's solid, it leaves an impression and stays with you, but it's hardly Wilder's best work. For another director, Love in the Afternoon would be great; for Wilder, it's just good.

LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON is the all time romantic comedy champ. Cooper, Hepburn, Chevalier, Wilder, the Hotel Ritz, the city of Paris, everything is simply sublime. This is Wilder's tribute to his idol, Ernst Lubitsch, and it ranks right up there with the best of Lubitsch. And the ending ... a misty drizzle, the railroad station, Cooper on the steps of the slowly moving train, Hepburn running alongside, tears streaming down her face ... can't recommend this film highly enough. And for those who find the age difference between Cooper and Hepburn too imposing, recent bios of both Cooper and Hepburn reveal that they did, in fact, have an affair during the filming. Buy this video!

As the title says, you'll absolutely love this infectious romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper, and Maurice Chevalier. Hepburn plays an innocent girl Arianne who falls in love with American playboy, Frank Flanagan(Cooper). Arianne's father(Chevalier) is a detective specializing in extra marital affairs, and especially in those involving Mr. Frank Flanagan. With its twists and turns and lively Gypsy band, "Love in the Afternoon" is a film of wit, romance, and delightful music that will charm generations to come!

"Love in the Afternoon" is a beautiful tale of a young woman,Audrey Hepburn, growing up in Paris and her father is a private eye who for years has been traching the affairs of a "Playboy", Gary Cooper. She has fallen in love with Cooper even before she has meet him, she sails into rescue him before on of his lovers husbands slices him open. Hepburn turns the tables on Cooper and becomes the mysteriouse woman/girl who will not fall under his spell. Cooper is taunted by the background that Hepburn gives to him relating her tales of torrid love affairs she has had over the years. Cooper finally doesn't know which way is up and needs to find out who this beautiful temptress really is. This movie is by far one of the best movies to see either Hepburn or Cooper in. Cooper may be a little on the older side for this role but then anyone opposite of Hepburn would look older than the forever young Hepburn. I highly recommend this movie.

Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper make an unlikely pair for a lot of reasons in this film but that does not stop the relationship from working. It sizzles.

Audrey is a young Parisian girl, the daughter of a private investigator played by Maurice Chevalier. She is young, beautiful, innocent and plays the cello and is a bit bored. She treats herself to adventure by reading the case files of her father. A good proportion of these case files involve the character played by Gary Cooper. He is a rich American playboy who is always got women. Often, these women are married.

Cooper is the single largest source of income for Chevalier and Chevalier cannot help be admire his style. Having gypsy musicians on call to serenade the mark day and night is just one example.

When Hepburn learns that an outraged husband plans to kill Cooper, she secretly goes to warn the lovers. In doing so, she falls for Cooper herself and manages to arouse his interest. She knows that any sort of clinging will just turn him off so she tries to play his own strategy against him. She plays the mysterious playgirl with more beaux than she can count. She will not even give him her name.

The strategy works. Cooper falls for her in a big way but still she remains silent. In desperation, Cooper hires a private investigator to learn more about her. Naturally, this would be her father.

Things do not work out as expected but they do work out well. Hepburn portrays beauty and innocence and not a little female cunning. She is a delight to behold. So are Cooper's fits of uncertainty. Chevalier lends the whole episode a degree of class and dignity. It's a first fate story all around.

This is delightful romantic romp between Gary Cooper and Audrey Hepburn. Cooper is an internationally known wealthy womanizer. Hepburn is a young and inexperienced innocent whose greatest delights in life had been her father (Maurice Chavalier), a private investigator, her chello, and reading her father's accounts of the infamous Mr. Cooper.

Hepburn finds out that Cooper's life is in danger when an irrate husband shows up at her father's Paris flat demanding Cooper's whereabouts.

Hepburn comes to Cooper's rescue, not only from the irrate husband, but eventually she manages to save him from himself as well.

It is a delightful movie and Hepburn as always is gorgeous and Cooper ruggedly handsome. It's a movie that will rest gently on both the heart and mind. It truly is a must see for any Cooper and/or Hepburn fan.