(Originally written April 11, 2005)

“Paris is for lovers. No wonder I only stayed there for 45 minutes.”

I walked into Sabrina expecting a sweet romantic comedy and walked away thinking how I could expect so little from one of the greatest writers in American cinema. Audrey Hepburn is absolutely charming in this film as she goes from dirty to dazzling. As always, Humphrey Bogart’s performance is deceptively simple, yet in both this film and Casablanca, he subtly hints at inner emotional struggle. With blonde hair and playboy intuition, William Holden is plays Bogart’s brother in one of his most unique roles. Because viewers are so used to Holden in more serious roles, he really is able to shine through with this more playful character. This film allows him to stretch his acting boundaries, revealing how he is one of the most frequently overlooked actors of the Hollywood Golden Age. Coming up with some of the most outrageous (and painful) scenes of his career, Billy Wilder presents the Samuel Taylor play perfectly with his own touch of innuendo and sarcasm.