A love story amidst prejudice. With an original screenplay, inspired by a true story, that was nominated for an Oscar we know a very entertaining cultural shock. The years pass but the life of Middle Eastern immigrants in the United States continues to be complicated and the film deals with this issue in a light and humorous way.
Based on the play by George Axelrod (who also co-wrote the film's screenplay), this movie could very well be Billy Wilder's most iconic classic in his immense filmography, and that is already saying a lot for someone who directed Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, and Sunset Boulevard. The Seven Year Itch follows a man who, away from his wife and child for an extended period of time, begins to flirt with the prospect of infidelity, and is terribly tempted by a beautiful actress and model staying in his building (Marilyn Monroe). Filmed and released at a time when depicting such themes openly in cinema was prohibited due to the "Hays Code," The Seven Year Itch is one of the great examples of how Wilder and other directors managed to bring those themes to the big screen through suggestive images and dialogues, never explicit, playing with subtle double entendres. The result is an incomparable romantic comedy full of wit that also contains one of the most iconic images of the 20th century: that of Marilyn Manson in her white dress, with her skirt being lifted up by the subway's air vent, which catapulted her to legend status.
The iconic image of the young and uncomfortable Dustin Hoffman before Anne Bancroft's leg is one of the most iconic in the history of the seventh art, and it comes from this movie. 'The Graduate' is a product of the countercultural convulsion of the New Hollywood of the sixties - influenced by the French New Wave -, and is a perfect reflection of the disillusionment that the generation of young people of that time felt about their future (the diving scene, another jewel by itself, is a great metaphor for it). An essential film that launched Hoffman and Bancroft into the firmament of cinema.
"About Time" is a charming and delightful romance, where nothing is quite what it seems. The movie starts with a big reveal: the men in Tim's family have the extraordinary ability to travel through time, and with this information Tim must decide what his life will be. The movie uses this fantastical element to tackle mundane themes, human relationships and family, fate, tragedy and miracles, so to speak. The story is mostly a lighthearted and unassuming romance, but when least expected, it reveals itself to be much more powerful and moving than it appears. A movie to celebrate life, remember to love people, have fun and be moved.
A great classic of romantic comedies from the late 1990s, about a common Brit with a pacific life in Notting Hill, London's neighbourhood, who ends up getting involved with a famous Hollywood actress - and has his life turned upside down. With a round script and impeccable performances by Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, it's a movie for the eternal lovers.