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Product Description

Fairy-tale Paris doesn't get more enchanting than Billy Wilder's Love in the Afternoon, an ode to picnics on the grass and champagne at the Ritz. Audrey Hepburn (who had already made Sabrina with Wilder) is at her best as the inexperienced cellist with a fascination for millionaire American playboy Gary Cooper. Maurice Chevalier (who else?) is Hepburn's father, a private detective with ample evidence of Cooper's crowded history of l'amour. Alongside the sheen of the romance is Wilder's unerring sense of craftsmanship; watch how inanimate objects such as a liquor tray, a white carnation, or the little dog in the suite next door are developed into sublime running gags. The age difference between the two leads has often been questioned, but perhaps this is what gives the gossamer material the whiff of welcome melancholy. The final three minutes leave no doubt that Wilder hatched the best endings in Hollywood history. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

• Wonderful...a must see for every Audrey fan!
  I adore Audrey and have seen all of her films. This is one of my 12 favorites. The lines in this are wonderful and Audrey has some of the best lines ever. She is so cute and innocent and offers a terrific screen performance. Definetly get this one!...more info
• Afternoon Delight that is 'ALL-RIGHT'
  Gary Cooper has always been the perfect guy to me. I was skeptical about the somewhat coolish Audrey Hepburn playing opposite the Coop-man.
  My fears were unfounded. They are able to project a definite chemistry on film. It is a sweet romance--she, as a cellist has a crush on the much older playboy. Is it strictly a sweet romance? No. There is plenty of humor in this. One of my favorite scenes is the one in which the innebriated Cooper keeps pushing the service cart back and forth, as he is in a blue funk and self-medicating to the max. It is a classic. The great scene however is the ending scene in which they have split up and she runs after the train. He comes to the doorway of the train and sweeps her onboard, sensually cementing their relationship for good. This scene rivals the beach scene in From Here to Eternity (Lancaster, Kerr) in sexiness. A great and scintillating movie. The interiors are elegant....more info
• incredible waste of time - VERY dated
  The wisdom of Amazon kept recommending this to me. Why - because I bought Two For The Road several years ago?? That purchase was based on love of that film and its timeless reflection on love/marriage. Love in the Afternoon cannot be compared in any way save for the presence of the lovely Audrey Hepburn. She shines in both films but the latter doesn't come close to being saved by her inclusion.
  
  Gary Cooper - are we kidding? Who in the name of William Shatner (an Olivier by comparison) ever considered him an ACTOR?? His wooden, plodding recitation of lines was a hideous waste of time, energy and celluloid. I can understand a town full of people planning his demise at high noon.
  
  ...more info
• One of Wilder's Lesser Efforts
  Looks like I'm going to be going in the opposite direction of most reviewers when I say I didn't much care for this romantic comedy from director Billy Wilder. I've made it a point to see as many of Wilder's films as I can, and I found that this film was missing the edge that his others have. The basic story is wealthy ladies man Gary Cooper who has many women in every town he travels to, becomes involved with a mysterious, apparently experienced Audrey Hepburn, who in reality is a student and lives with her detective father Maurice Chevalier. She falls for him quickly, and he gradually begins to fall for her, despite knowing remarkably little about her. But can such an oddly matched couple find lasting love together? There is some sharp dialogue in the film, as one would expect from Wilder. He also knows how to milk a gag for what it's worth. The ending is also very satisfying, something he was known for. But all of that didn't add up to enough for me to really like the film. Hepburn lights up the screen as she usually did. Cooper, however, I think was not the best choice, lacking the worldly quality of a playboy. He is also badly photographed in the film, although I have read that it was done purposely to downplay his age. As for the frequently discussed age gap between the stars, they're both adults so it was not a big deal to me. However, their lack of real chemistry and the thinness of the plot was a bigger deal. In the hands of a director like Wilder, I expected more substance and polish. This is certainly one of his lesser efforts....more info
• Cute but superficial romance
  Audrey Hepburn delivers a wonderful performance as a naive young music student who falls hopelessly in love with a much older playboy American tourist. Both Hepburn and Cooper are funny, and their witty banter is wonderful. I know this is a comedy, and partly a satire, but I was disturbed by several aspects of this film. First, the age differences between the two characters is a bit disturbing. Cooper looks every bit of his 56 years, while Hepburn looks like a college freshman. Second, couldn't the worldly Cooper tell that virginal Hepburn wasn't the flighty woman she claimed to be? Third, I was also disturbed by the "happily ever after" ending. Maybe my tastes are a little superior to this film (I much more prefer the ending to "Roman Holiday," a much better romantic comedy), but I simply could not swallow the final scene. Other than that, this film is a cute romantic comedy, especially the scenes where Hepburn describes her many (fictional) love affairs. Worth a viewing, but this one isn't being added to my DVD collection, even though I am an avid Audrey fan....more info
• See Audrey eat chicken!
  Audrey Hepburn fans need to buy this movie because it's up there with roman holiday and sabrina. when it came out, the public did not like it because of the age difference of hepburn and cooper. the chemistry is great between the two, and Audrey lights up the whole movie with charm and beauty. my favorite sceen is where she eats chicken. i'm a vegetarian, but she's so cute when she eats!!!!!!!!!!...more info
• I need more stars, this movie is great!!
  This film is delightfull. I have never really had a chance to discover a true and classic romantic film that is until I saw 'Love in the afternoon' wich turned me on to a whole different world of the day when Gentlemenly values ruled the movie screen and Women were portrayed as having a certain class to them that Hepburn brought about most beautyfully. Audrey was truly a gem....more info
• Charming...
  Audrey Hepburn is luminous--watching "thin girl" bewitch Flanagan was charming. With Gary Cooper's character, I would've liked a closer glimpse of what exactly made him so irresistable... the camera predictably pulls away during the clinches and the most you see is a silhouette of a kiss; the charms of this "ladies' man" are more implied than shown, although given the year this was filmed, that's not surprising. A few people commented on the age difference, but the younger-woman-older-man pairing is nothing new in Hollywood, and believe it or not, some of us "younger women" actually do prefer older men. Had Cooper been much younger, the plot wouldn't have made much sense. His character is meant to be worldly, sophisticated, and somewhat jaded. A young man in that role would have come off like the David Larrabee character in Sabrina: a lightweight....more info
• Billy Wilder's Off-Centre Romance Classic
  Billy Wilder was not one of those "slice of life" Directors. In all his films he favours the eccentric, or at least a very unconventional situations. In LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON he focuses on a type of romance not exactly promoted by Guidance Councellors in any High School programmes.
  His Arienne is quite probably slightly mad. Not an unlikely result from having a Maurice Chevalier as your sole parent. There can be no other reasons why she should pursue a very old and somewhat unbending Gary Cooper. But no matter that. Wilder is no moralist and instead focuses his attention on the comic elements arising out of the situation.
  This is the most musical non Musical I know off, and not just because of the frequent appearance of a String Quartet. Hepburn, Chevalier and Cooper themselves are like a musical Trio. No one could deliver her lines like Audrey Hepburn and here she is at her lilting best, almost like a songbird. In fact, all the visual embellishments of this film, such as the little dog, the cello, the fur coat weave their way in and out of the plot like melodic strands in some piece of Chamber Music.
  Every time I see this film I like it more and more. The black and white cinematography is superb and comes out well on DVD. The scenes between Hepburn and Chevalier are priceless. The choice of Gary Cooper has been critizised in some quarters, but his Rock of Gibralter solidness and his All-American masculinity provide the perfect counterfoil to the flighty feminity of the Chevalier character.
  It may well be as Hepburn and Cooper elope in the train in the final scene that she is abandoning the Mother figure (Chevalier) for a life with a Father she longs for but never knew. It's a terrific ending, but not one designed to cater to the sentiments of the Moral Majority....more info
• Love in the Afternoon
  This is a delightful outing for Hepburn, who'd already been featured opposite an established, aging Hollywood star in another Wilder film ( "Sabrina" , with Humphrey Bogart). "Love" is a sophisticated romantic comedy with lots of Gallic joie de vivre that will brighten any rainy day. Chevalier, one of France's biggest stars, is marvelous as Hepburn's protective Dad. And Cooper, even at an advancing age, is charming in the extreme. Don't miss that famous ending at the train station- it's one of Wilder's cutest closers....more info
• enh
  "Love in the Afternoon" was distracting at best, and banally charming at worst. It could barely hold my attention during dinner. The dialogue attempts to be the sort of heated exchange substituting for heated sex, but instead falls flat because the script is just simply trying too hard to capitalize on Audrey Hepburns' innate coquettishness. Enh. Nothing stood out about this movie. ...more info
• Incredibly Alluring
  Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper make an unlikely pair for a lot of reasons in this film but that does not stop the relationship from working. It sizzles.
  
  Audrey is a young Parisian girl, the daughter of a private investigator played by Maurice Chevalier. She is young, beautiful, innocent and plays the cello and is a bit bored. She treats herself to adventure by reading the case files of her father. A good proportion of these case files involve the character played by Gary Cooper. He is a rich American playboy who is always got women. Often, these women are married.
  
  Cooper is the single largest source of income for Chevalier and Chevalier cannot help be admire his style. Having gypsy musicians on call to serenade the mark day and night is just one example.
  
  When Hepburn learns that an outraged husband plans to kill Cooper, she secretly goes to warn the lovers. In doing so, she falls for Cooper herself and manages to arouse his interest. She knows that any sort of clinging will just turn him off so she tries to play his own strategy against him. She plays the mysterious playgirl with more beaux than she can count. She will not even give him her name.
  
  The strategy works. Cooper falls for her in a big way but still she remains silent. In desperation, Cooper hires a private investigator to learn more about her. Naturally, this would be her father.
  
  Things do not work out as expected but they do work out well. Hepburn portrays beauty and innocence and not a little female cunning. She is a delight to behold. So are Cooper's fits of uncertainty. Chevalier lends the whole episode a degree of class and dignity. It's a first fate story all around.
  ...more info
• The All-Time Romantic Comedy Champ!
  LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON is the all time romantic comedy champ. Cooper, Hepburn, Chevalier, Wilder, the Hotel Ritz, the city of Paris, everything is simply sublime. This is Wilder's tribute to his idol, Ernst Lubitsch, and it ranks right up there with the best of Lubitsch. And the ending ... a misty drizzle, the railroad station, Cooper on the steps of the slowly moving train, Hepburn running alongside, tears streaming down her face ... can't recommend this film highly enough. And for those who find the age difference between Cooper and Hepburn too imposing, recent bios of both Cooper and Hepburn reveal that they did, in fact, have an affair during the filming. Buy this video!...more info
• "Love is a game any number can play...
  especially in the aftenoon..."
  
  I began watching "Love in the Afternoon" with the intent of watching only half of it that night and then finishing the rest the next morning. At two hours and ten minutes, I felt that would be simply too much schmaltzy romance for one night. So I pressed play. A half hour passed. Then another. And another. And another. And then the painstakingly gorgeous final ten minutes that will be ingrained in any true romantic's memory forever.
  
  I was so incredibly enchanted by this delightful bit of old-fashioned romance. This is a love story that, at least for me, has stood the test of time. The bittersweet beauty of this love story rang so true with me. I was utterly astounded that I found myself relating to a love story that was intended to have taken place nearly fifty years ago in Paris. The essence of love has obviously not changed over the years, no matter how drastically the world we inhabit has changed.
  
  Billy Wilder, the man behind such classics as "Sabrina", "Some Like it Hot", "Sunset Boulevard", and "The Seven Year Itch", directed and co-wrote this timeless romance. Starring two of Old Hollywood's greatest stars, Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper, this film is flawless. It is marvelously filmed, contains a bounty of witty dialogue, and, most importantly, at its core is a surprisingly relatable and realistic romance that is perfectly set-up, executed, and finished in true glorious Old-Hollywood fashion. "Love in the Afternoon" is not to be missed by anyone looking for a romance that really "gets" what real love is and realistically depicts the pain and joy of it all....more info
• Wilder's Parisian souffle
  With two of Hollywood's most glamorous stars, and (despite the silly plot) a sharp and witty script, this film is an evergreen, and one I never tire of watching.
  Audrey Hepburn is enchanting as the spunky "Thin Girl", a cello student who falls in love with a millionaire playboy bachelor, played with grace and charm (and quite a bit of humor) by Gary Cooper. Hepburn was 28 at the time, and looked younger, Cooper was 56, and looked perhaps older, but despite the age difference, their chemistry together sparkles and sizzles.

  The romantic cat and mouse game played by Hepburn to intrigue and win Cooper's heart is all very innocent and sweet, and I always shed a few tears at the magical ending.
  Maurice Chevalier as Hepburn's father, a private detective specializing in matters of love and deception is fabulous, and gets most of the funny lines, and John McGiver, as one of Chevalier's jealous husband clients, is also very amusing.

  The b & w cinematography by William Mellor is exceptional, and how the camera loves Audrey, looking exquisite in an array of beautiful gowns. There is also a quartet called "The Gypsies", who serenade the lovers throughout the film with some terrific czardas, and the melodic song "Fascination".
  Light, frothy, and thoroughly enjoyable, this is one of Billy Wilder's most delightful films, and it's a treasure for Hepburn and Cooper fans.
  Total running time is 130 minutes....more info

• A Pleasant Romantic Comedy
  This is not classic Billy Wilder. The film is too long, and suffers from some lulls. Maurice Chevalier doesn't have enough to do. Gary Cooper looks tired, and is mismatched next to the vibrant Audrey Hepburn. The scenario is interesting, and there are some lovely moments. Overall, the film is good, but not extraordinary. For a better Wilder romantic comedy, try "A Foreign Affair."...more info
• absolutely adored this movie, witty and romantic
  I loved this movie, I saw it for the first time on Turner Classic Movies and for the second time on American Movie Classics. It's funny and intelligent, Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses and she was especially fabulous in this movie. I can't wait til it comes out on video again. Anyone who loved "Funny Face" or "Breakfast at Tiffany's" will love this movie....more info
• Ms. Hepburn is as effervervessent as champagne
  Ms. hepburn must have been very very happy when she made this movie. her screen presents just over powers poor Mr. Cooper....more info
• Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper do NOT make a good couple!
  Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper are wonderful actors but should never have been paired together. There should be a believeble age difference. Audrey's calling him the best looking man she'd ever seen is NOT believable. The plot is decent but I didn't like Cooper's gigilo character. Audrey is stunning as usual....more info
• Perfectly Delightful!
  This has to be one of my most favourite Audrey Hepburn movies of all time. It is the epitome of Audrey; romantic, funny, interesting and classic all in one. Once you see this movie you will never forget it and you will carry the tune "Fascination" with you for quite a while and your friends will ask you to stop humming that idiotic tune! The only real way to describe this movie is contagious!...more info
• love in the afternoon
  Audrey Hepburn, always lovely, couldn't possibly have fallen for a man who looked as old as Gary Cooper. Apart from that, I thought the supporting actors were good, the script was good, the directing was good. Too bad about Gary Cooper....more info
• Gary Cooper too old? Blasphemy!
  The common criticism of this delightful film is that Gary Cooper, one of the icons of Hollywood, was "too old" to play the lead against the youthful Audrey Hepburn. This is, quite frankly, ludicrous and almost laughable. Though Coop was 56 when the movie was filmed, he was still incredibly handsome, well-preserved, thin and as sexy as he had been in his prime. There isn't a single moment where the viewer would doubt that this man wasn't utterly believable in the role or womanizer and seducer extraodinaire. Audrey Hepburn would have been a fool to turn her nose up at this choice male animal, even if he was 30 years her senior.

  Coop and Hepburn's scenes together are all marvelous, especially the famous film-ending train scene, this one still makes one's toes curl, even after 20+ viewings over the years. Maurice Chevalier is also charming in his role as Audrey's father. The music, script and stellar direction by Billy Wilder make this an essential movie to watch, to own, and to treasure....more info

• * It's a Keeper *
  Other than the unlikely age difference between Hepburn and Cooper, this film is utterly enjoyable. Quaint postwar Par-ee abounding with love and comedic intrigue. Outstanding cinematography (mine is B&W although the cover is in color). Another timeless film that you'll watch again and again. ...more info
• The chauffer of the Banker from Brussels
  For one very small bottle of perfume you can get 12 very large bananas. And for all the lies Audrey's character in this movie tells you can win over any American playboy...more info
• Beautifully Directed
  At first I thought the movie was a little slow-paced, but I kept watching because I love Hepburn and Cooper. Then I got frustrated that Hepburn's character would fall for such a slimeball. Who could fall for a man like that?!!! Then he began to charm me and I realized that women fall in love for no good reason a lot of the time. I was extremely amused at the way Hepburn's character could spin a good story and tell a believable bold-faced lie and make Cooper's character jealous. It became a hightly facinating story. I love how old movie can put sex so delicately into a film without having to show anyone undressed. The directing and story-telling is done extremely well. I was very moved as I watched a man unwillingly fall deeply in love. Something about the plot reminded me of the recent Down With Love movie. Although this is not a movie I would watch over and over, it is one of the best movies I have ever seen....more info
• May-December? Who cares?
  A lot of people criticise how old Gary Cooper is in this movie, but it certainly doesn't matter to me. This movie is all about Audrey Hepburn, and how sweet and charming and imaginative she could be. I'm so glad this movie is on DVD so I can skip ahead to my favorite parts when there is not enough time for the whole thing....more info
• A Wonderful Film
  Hepburn does a wonderful job again...Great delightful film....more info
• Cooper and Hepburn Are Delightful
  This is delightful romantic romp between Gary Cooper and Audrey Hepburn. Cooper is an internationally known wealthy womanizer. Hepburn is a young and inexperienced innocent whose greatest delights in life had been her father (Maurice Chavalier), a private investigator, her chello, and reading her father's accounts of the infamous Mr. Cooper.

  Hepburn finds out that Cooper's life is in danger when an irrate husband shows up at her father's Paris flat demanding Cooper's whereabouts.

  Hepburn comes to Cooper's rescue, not only from the irrate husband, but eventually she manages to save him from himself as well.

  It is a delightful movie and Hepburn as always is gorgeous and Cooper ruggedly handsome. It's a movie that will rest gently on both the heart and mind. It truly is a must see for any Cooper and/or Hepburn fan....more info

• DISAPPOINTED CLIMAX FOR LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON
  When teenage Arienne (Audrey Hepburn)decides to follow one of her father's clients, a middle-age bachelor with a penchant for seducing married ladies (Gary Cooper), she accidentally discovers herself succumbing to "Love In The Afternoon". Arienne's father (Maurice Chevalier) is dead set against the match until he realizes it is true love. This is an elegant little nothing from director, Billy Wilder and, sandwiched somewhere between Sunset Blvd. and the ultra chic, Sabrina, it generally tends to get overlooked. A real shame, because this is a great romantic comedy/drama with an unusually sober ending.
  Warner Home Video has given us a rather dull looking transfer. The gray scale starts out good but then deteriorates to a rather blurry mess mid-way through. The picture is incredibly soft focused at times with the entire image presented as one big blurry mess. When the picture is sharp, background detail is fairly accurately rendered with only a hint of edge enhancement, pixelization or aliasing problems. However, at least 30% of the image is very weak in its visual clarity. Black levels are weak. Contrast levels are often worse. The audio is mono and unusually strident, with a considerable amount of background hiss that is not usually the norm for Warner Brother DVD's. NO EXTRAS. A genuine shame.
  BOTTOM LINE: This is a great film badly in need of another transfer. I recommend the movie. Not the DVD....more info
• A Subtle Seduction
  On the same level as "Ninotchka" and "Ball of Fire," this movie can't get any better. As it is expected from Wilder, it has a taut script where every scene makes the main story stronger and funnier. The tempo may sometimes be slow during the scenes with no dialogue, but that is well done because it helps develop the delicate psychology of seduction by Hepburn and its crumbling effects on Cooper. In this process, she shows her most impish and mischievous side while not losing her inherent vulnerability. A review by Edwin Jahiel (from newsgroup reviews on the internet movie database) states that this movie is very delicate and original, and that the public has been sadly and gradually losing its sophistication since this movie was made. Here is a quote that I completely agree with him: "Cooper's unusual, un-rakish ladykiller, for example, is deemed improbable by some people, yet it adds something new to the traditional depiction of Don Juans. Love in the Afternoon has wit, humor, slapstick, sentiment that never cloys, gags and naughtiness a la Ernst Lubitsch with whom Wilder had worked and whose major inheritor he became, though with original creations rather than imitations." This movie should be in any short list of best movies....more info
• Loving Love in the Afternoon
  This is a great movie. It's got everything, Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper, Billy Wilder, romance, comedy, Paris, and gypsies! What more could you want? It is a great film....more info
• Funny flick with sparkling Chevalier and elegant Hepburn
  After enjoying "Roman Holiday", I thought that I'd start seeing more of Audrey Hepburn's films. "Love in the Afternoon" was one of the few my girlfriend hadn't seen and, even with the criticisms on Gary Cooper, I thought that this would be worth checking out.
  
  I was surprised by how funny Chevalier was in this picture. His observations on the illicit liasons he investigates are hilarious. While he's a little oblivious to Arianne's [Audrey Hepburn] needs at the beginning, it's clear that he genuinely loves her and this film is as much about his evolution as a father as it is about the "May-December" romance at its center.
  
  Hepburn is her elegant self throughout. For me, she was not as believable as the innocent cellist who would swoon whenever she imagined "Fascination" being played. She was masterful as the skillful seductress who turns Mr. Flanagan's [Gary Cooper] playboy ways against him by pretending to be an experienced lover herself.
  
  I dock this a star because the second half lagged a bit in my opinion. Plus by the end of this movie you will remember "Fascination" as one of the torch songs of the flick or be so tired of it you wish to banish it from your mind forever. Count me in the latter group. On the other hand, the gypsy quartet that Mr. Flanagan hires to "set the mood" has some of the best comic moments in the movie.
  
  I'm not sure of the name of the actor who plays the husband who Chevalier's character works for at the beginning of the movie, but he was funny as the innocent, bumbling husband who was tricked by Hepburn and Cooper.
  
  Surely, this film is probably not the best script that Hepburn had to work with, but it does show her comic gifts. I laughed out loud more than I have in many contemporary comedies. If you're interested in Hepburn or classic movies, this is certainly worth checking out.
  
  --4 stars
  
  SD...more info
• Loved it!!!
  I first saw "Love In The Afternoon" when I stayed home from school one day. I had been an Audrey fan, but never knew about this film. I'll admit at first I wasn't liking Gary playing opposite of young, beautiful Audrey. But after watching more than half of the movie I realized that the age difference didn't matter. Age isn't nothing but a number. Gary and Audrey had such chemisty that I don't think she could've had as well with anyone else for this movie. It's a wonderful movie from the start to the finish. I suggest you go and buy this movie now!...more info
• no masterpiece but a turly funny movie
  Ms. Hepburn blows poor gary cooper of the screen in this tale of suduction and pursuit. The joke is that while the the cooper thinks he is suducing Ms. Hepburn, it is she that is chasing him....more info
• Solid Wilder; hypocritical critics.
  Audrey Hepburn (who was an excellent actor and an even better human being) MADE HER FILM CAREER by playing the sweet young thing opposite the much older man. Seriously, people, how can you try, sentence and condemn this film because "Gary Cooper is too old for her," but talk about how much you love films like Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, Charade, or even lesser movies like Sabrina or War and Peace?
  
  Humphrey Bogart: 30 years older.
  Gary Cooper: 27 years older.
  Henry Fonda: 24 years older.
  Burt Lancaster: 16 years older.
  Cary Grant: 25 years older.
  Rex Harrison: 21 years older.
  Gregory Peck: 13 years older (but when she was only 25 and he was pushing 40).
  
  If you can relook at the film for what it is, you find one of Billy Wilder's good, but hardly great pictures.
  
  Many of the qualities that make Wilder one of the greats--a strong central cast, well-oiled comedic timing and engaging dramatic pacing--are present and accounted for. Cooper plays an excellent smirking, older lothario (hardly an uncommon trope it the annals of American film, so get over it) in a daring, but well-acted departure from the Will Kane/Longfellow Deeds mold. Maurice Chevalier tones down the croaking Frenchman routine to play a subtle and endearing character, despite his obnoxious occupation. And Audrey Hepburn delivers a remarkably self-controlled performance in what was doubtless a difficult role to assume.
  
  The gypsy band and the comedy of errors are vintage Wilder. Ditto for the typically 'Wilderian' pace, which never lags, and never goes too long without a joke. All of Wilder's story-telling signatures are there, especially his career-long preoccupation with the qualities that make up 'human decency,' and, despite his generally cynical take on modern American life (at home and abroad), his aptitude for teasing out a satisfying romantic ending.
  
  A movie is not always the sum of its parts; a great cast and a strong script can make for a disastrous picture if not assembled properly. Wilder, even when working with inferior material (I'm thinking especially of some of HIS OWN weaker scripts) could never be accused of shoddy directing. And Love in the Afternoon is, above all, well-assembled.
  
  Its script is not as daring or captivating as Double Indemnity's, nor as moving and utterly human as the Apartment's. It's on-location filming is not as impressive as is Ace in the Hole's, nor as memorable as The Long Weekend's (remember Ray Milland's agonizing pawn shop hunt?). Wilder made good use, initially, of the Place Vend?me, but otherwise he fails to make the most of what Paris has to offer.
  
  It's solid, it leaves an impression and stays with you, but it's hardly Wilder's best work. For another director, Love in the Afternoon would be great; for Wilder, it's just good....more info
• Audrey Hepburn A Treat In "May - December", Romantic Comedy
  I have to admit that I love Audrey Hepburn in just about everything that she has done on screen but when she is combined with a directing genius like Billy Wilder and is featured in a romantic comedy set in the elegance of Paris, the setting for some many of her greatest films the combination is sure to delight even the most cynical of movie goers. "Love in the Afternoon", continued the trend in Audrey's films of often teaming her with much older leading men and in this romantic outing the legendary Gary Cooper joins the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire, and later Cary Grant as the older man who falls for the obvious charms of Miss Hepburn, usually in a Parisian setting. Here the combination of older leading man and young leading lady has often drawn criticism from viewers however I feel the combination of Gary Cooper, all experience and worldly sophistication, and Hepburn, delightfully childlike and innocent works extremely well and produces one of Billy Wilder's more delightful romantic pairings of the late 1950's. ...more info
• A tragedy disguised as a love story
  This movie helps us to understand why the divorce rate is so high amongst this generation. The story line is written to depict a great love founded on lies and deceit. Cooper plays a skirt chasing, immoral, philanderer, who has absolutely no depth of character and nothing positive to offer, other than financial security. Hepburn portrays an idiot child who can't see what a loser she pursues. The differences in their ages could suggest that Cooper is a child molester. I found this movie disturbing and annoying....more info
• Splendid!
  This is a charming movie with a lot of class and sophistication. The ending is so adorable it brings a tear to the eye. Surprisingly, the age difference between Hepburn and Cooper doesn't hinder the story all that much. Some cute little comic moments in it as well. A must see for the true Hepburn fan!...more info
• Fascination is in the air!
  I loved this movie lots! Despite the difference of age between Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper I think they made a real cute couple. Audrey is perfect, how can you not love her? Of all her films, this is one of my favorites, it's funny and yet very romantic. And Maurice Chevalier is great as Audrey's beloved father. So, if you're a Audrey Hepburn fan and also a hopeless romantic -I'd rather say hopeful, though -, you'll love this movie. Let's put it this way: if you don't have it, buy it now! You won't regret it!...more info
• This movie needs to be more publicized.
  Out of all of Audrey's movies this is one of my favorites. Her acting was superb, she portrayed her character well. Cooper plays a sex symbol, and dispite the age difference he did an amazing job. I compare this movie to "Funny Face" because the female lead falls in love with an older man, however Cooper plays a more convincing role then good ol' Fred. "Love in the Afternoon" is a sincere love story, it seems to come from the heart, not the desk of a movie producer....more info
• A great romantic movie!
  This is a great movie for hopeless, sentamental romantics like me. It was a excellently casted and wonderfully acted. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because I still cannot see what Aryanne(Hepburn)saw in that playboy(Cooper). It is still a wonderful romantic classic....more info
• A flawless tribute to Lubitsch
  This is Billy Wilder's tribute to Ernest Lubitsch. And it is flawless. No other leading man than Gary Cooper could have pulled off the last third of the film, when his aging ladies man character is turned into a basket case by Audrey Hepburn. Had Cary Grant played the role, never would an audience have believed for a moment that the unruffable Grant would have become such an emotional wreck. This also has the most romantic ending in the history of film. A great film!...more info
• Cooper too old? Ask Ted Kennedy
  or Michael Dougless or Bob Packwood...more info
• An innocent girl and the playboy-classic but charming
  A very experienced womaniser is rescued from a jealous husband by the innocent daughter of the detective hired by the husband. Then, of course the girl immediately falls for the playboy charms; champagne at Ritz, musicians, deluxe picnics, tux and gray hair with excellent manners. Nevertheless, the playboy slowly falls for the innocent looking girl who makes him jealous with stories of many other affairs which in fact just appears in the files of her father. This sounds so cliche and a bit triste, but the direction, the scene (Paris) and the actors are so good that I was romanced by the movie. The music-Fascination is just perfect. I also love the chello carrying Audrey with short hair and the mystery of "afternoon love" The ending, which is so critical in this type of movie cause could turn it into a stupid melodrama is well adjusted. Last words:I wish these classic playboys still existed and romanced me with private musicians...more info
• SUPERB !!!
  Both Gary Cooper and Audrey Hepburn are superb in this story of falling in love and unknowingly being in love. It is beautifully and tenderly acted and lived. It is well-filmed in black-and-white. It could have used some of Hayley Westenra's recordings as background music. Maurice Chevalier does an excellent job of playing Audrey's father and narrator filling in pieces of the story....more info
• Love before nightfall in Paris!
  Ariane Chavasse, daughter of a French detective, loves to read her father's private dossiers... She becomes fascinated with the file concerning American playboy millionaire Frank Flannagan and a certain Madame X... She soon learns that Monsieur X has sworn to kill the American, so she goes to his hotel suite to warn him... Flannagan, intrigued by the attractive mysterious girl, dates her for the following afternoon... Ariane is captured by his sophistication, and a succession of many 'afternoon rendezvous' follows...
  
  Concealing her identity, Ariane tells Frank of the many lovers in her past... He now becomes concerned about her... One day, in a steam bath, Flannagan meets Monsieur X, who advises him to consult detective Chavasse... He does, asking the detective to find out about the mysterious girl...
  
  Reunited with Billy Wilder, Audrey Hepburn once again finds herself cast opposite a father figure in the person of Gary Cooper... Their vehicle is a gay comedy that derived from a Claude Anet novel called 'Ariane,' and it had been filmed twice before... Both adaptations clung to the novel's concept of an innocent young girl's winning over a middle-aged Don Juan by pretending a romantic past of her own to equal his, and eventually reforming him altogether...
  
  With the most popular French entertainer of the last century Maurice Chevalier as the loving father, and John McGiver as the jealous husband, and considering its slight plot, 'Love in the Afternoon' maintains an atmosphere of sly charm and amusing details that almost sustains the film's length...
  
  Director Wilder is helped immensely by the luminous black-and-white photography of William Mellor and by musical composer Franz Waxman, whose various arrangements of the movie's long-playing leitmotif 'Fascination' lend so much to the resulting effect...
  
  ...more info
• one of my new favorites
  I was seeking a romantic movie this afternoon, and came across this one in my mom's collection. i thought why not? i mean i looooooooooove audrey hepburn to a fault, and the title went nicely with my predicament, so i watched it. As always hepburn was amazing. the story was cliche...nice girl falls for bad boy, but it was portrayed in a very non-cliche way. i was actually happily surprised by the slight innuendos, and didnt even notice the age difference between the two leading roles, which was why i was first hesitant to pick it up. (a huge misjudgement on my part). All around great movie, with a lovely ending....more info