Little White Lies magazine

Billy Wilder’s 1960 classic, The Apartment, has at its core a brilliant comic turn from Jack Lemmon as put-upon wage-slave CC Baxter, a man whose home is abused and exploited by his ruthless bosses. It has as well a touching romance, played out between Baxter and Miss Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), the beautiful lift attendant he loves from afar. But don’t confuse The Apartment, re-released in a restored print by the BFI, for some Sunday afternoon rom-com. Billy Wilder was the king of the comic tragedy, and here is his masterpiece: a bittersweet tale of alienation, sadness and attempted suicide, but also one of hope, forgiveness and the redemptive power of love. Superbly photographed, wonderfully performed, and with a message of real resonance, it’s a pleasure to see The Apartment back in its natural home on the big screen.