One of those movies that are highly regarded, and you can certainly see the care that's gone into it, but I felt it was over-rated. Maybe I'm just resistant to the charms of Claudette Colbert - oh she's okay, capable and sort of charming and all that, she's just not my cup of tea. Neither particularly is Don Ameche. She's a chorus girl on the make in Paris and he's an impoverished taxi driver. Her mercenary nature and his impoverished aristocratic background bear the unmistakeable mark of Billy Wilder, who co-wrote the script.
This has a nice ensemble feel - Colbert is the leads, but there's also John Barrymore on hand as an ally, plus Mary Astor and Frances Lederer. Lederer has quite a big role - I didn't recognise him from anywhere before. He falls in love with Colbert, which annoys Astor who is his lover despite being married to Barrymore. I kind of felt sorry for Lederer - I mean, he seems to really like her and he seems like a nice guy. The romance between Colbert and Ameche also seemed a little undercooked, although I loved the scene where she convinces the others she's insane.
It's a silly story with a light touch and playing - if you're into that whole Lubitsch school you'll probably love it. I enjoyed the movie just not wild about it.
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