Irma La Douce
"Audaciously funny! A brilliant comedy!" -Los Angeles Times
This bawdy, Academy Award®-winning farce, which reunites The Apartment's Lemmon and MacLaine (in a Best Actress Oscar®-nominated performance), is a "charming antic romantic comedy" (The New York Times) directed and co-written by Billy Wilder.
Meet Nestor (Jack Lemmon), a young man with a very complicated love life. Employed as business manager to Irma La Douce (Shirley MacLaine) - a proud and profitable lady of the streets - the poor guy had gone and fallen in love with her! So how do you keep a popular Parisiennne like Irma faithful? Simple. Disguise yourself as an elderly English Lord who immediately becomes Irma's sole client and means of support! But what's a jealous manager to do when the illustrious Irma claims that the man she's really in love with is not the smitten Nestor but the dotty old lord himself?
Member Reviews
Less than I expected but still very watchable - Superdave
This odd morality play about an honest cop who is fired for doing his job, and who then gets involved with a streetwalker and gets a lesson in ethics from the other side of the law, was a surprise flop for the usually reliable Billy Wilder, but viewed now there is still quite a lot for his fans to enjoy. The subject matter is given a highly sanitized treatment, as one would expect for 1963, and some of the scenes seem studio-bound (although the early montage showing Paris at five in the morning is a real cinematic treat.) I liked the look of the movie, however, with its big MGM soundstage sets and some great tracking shots, especially along Rue Casanova, where the girls work their trade. Plus, the dialogue has some very sharp moments with wryly worded sexy jokes that nonetheless pass the production code, and there are a few bits of well-staged physical comedy, as one would expect with Jack Lemmon.
Nonetheless, there is a contrived air to everything that makes it impossible to suspend disbelief and immerse oneself in the drama. Part of the problem lies with Shirley MacLaine, who, as the woman with the flipped over sense of morality, gives a likable but not entirely natural performance. There are some false moments in her portrayal. You get the feeling that she was less than 100% convinced of the character's world view and thus fails to completely convince the audience. A different actress, Jane Fonda maybe, or a few different choices by La MacLaine might have gone further to sell the picture's odd moral message. Not all of the false notes in the picture are her doing, of course. Everything is a little too Big Hollywood, plus the high farce second half of the movie is too far-fetched to create a truly compelling entertainment.
I would recommend this movie to fans of Billy Wilder, to fans of old school MGM movie-making and to Jack Lemmon fans, but anybody looking for a movie to really submerge oneself in will likely be disappointed.strictly for shirley maclaine fans - malice
This is typical screw ball comedy from billy wilder film, but definitely not one of his best.
Plot, such as it is, is basically summarized in 2 minute cartoon at the opening credits.
Problem is that it's really dated - it's pretty sexist and humourous depiction of pimp behaviour is in bad taste.
Shirley Maclaine plays a prostitute with a heart of gold, but she does a better job in Sweet Charity - a superior movie.
Jack Lemmon plays a french police man (!!!) with his usual mannerisms.
One of the better aspects is Lou Jacobi providing comedic relief, but even his jokes are dated.For a good time, lower your expectations. - john3
I enjoyed this film less than I was hoping I would. Rating this film difficult. Is it a weak film buoyed by a likeable cast or a solid film which seems weak only in comparison to that with which it must inevitably be compared - The Apartment.
In the end, it's an enjoyable enough film, worth seeing especially if you're a Lemmon or MacLaine (or Wilder) fan, but it doesn't quite click somehow.
Member Reviews
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Less than I expected but still very watchable - Superdave
This odd morality play about an honest cop who is fired for doing his job, and who then gets involved with a streetwalker and gets a lesson in ethics from the other side of the law, was a surprise flop for the usually reliable Billy Wilder, but viewed now ...strictly for shirley maclaine fans - malice
This is typical screw ball comedy from billy wilder film, but definitely not one of his best.
Plot, such as it is, is basically summarized in 2 minute cartoon at the opening credits.
Problem is that it's really dated - it's pretty sexist and humourous ...For a good time, lower your expectations. - john3
I enjoyed this film less than I was hoping I would. Rating this film difficult. Is it a weak film buoyed by a likeable cast or a solid film which seems weak only in comparison to that with which it must inevitably be compared - The Apartment.
In the ...