I know many of the jokes and quirks are a bit contrived and obvious. Sometimes the payoffs can be spotted minutes ahead of when they're used, but I find it difficult to name any other movie that makes the audience feel so good by the end. This was the first movie I saw Jack Lemmon in, and his performance as the ambitious but love-struck C.C. Baxter hits the perfect tone of uncertainty. The difficulty that his character goes through in trying to balance his morals with career success always teeters back and forth and makes it so easy to empathize with his character not matter what his decision.
Unlike many of the 'boy meets girl/boy loses girl/boy get girl back' formulaic plots that are so common today, 'The Apartment' sparkles with originality. Shirley MacLaine's Miss Kubelik doesn't fall for Baxter at first sight but actually never considers him a prospect. They're both so concerned with getting what they think they want, they don't realize that they love each other. That tension is always in their scenes, which makes the movie so much more compelling than traditional love stories. I won't reveal the ending, but Baxter's final decision is ennobling and speaks toward our better-halves. I have yet to meet a person who doesn't love this movie.
Unlike many of the 'boy meets girl/boy loses girl/boy get girl back' formulaic plots that are so common today, 'The Apartment' sparkles with originality. Shirley MacLaine's Miss Kubelik doesn't fall for Baxter at first sight but actually never considers him a prospect. They're both so concerned with getting what they think they want, they don't realize that they love each other. That tension is always in their scenes, which makes the movie so much more compelling than traditional love stories. I won't reveal the ending, but Baxter's final decision is ennobling and speaks toward our better-halves. I have yet to meet a person who doesn't love this movie.