Long before Meg Ryan ever met Billy Crystal or went sleepless with Tom Hanks, Shirley MacLaine was effortlessly luring the affections of a young and adorable Jack Lemmon.

With both actors in the prime of their talents, and Shirley MacLaine still in the blush of her beguiling pixie period, director Billy Wilder has the perfect cast for a charmingly risqué story of Boy meets Girl. Part formulaic, part farce, Wilder and long time writing collaborator I.A.L. Diamond manage to make the yearnings of a junior executive for the boss’s mistress utterly wholesome and achingly sweet. The elements combine to create a completely satisfying, brilliantly funny, unequalled whole.

Not just a piece of escapist fluff, The Apartment has depth and meaning that reaches across the changing cinematic styles of passing generations, attaining a staying power that will continue to charm and entertain viewing after viewing, year after year.         

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