The Apartment (1960) Film Discussion

For our final meet-up of the year we’ll discuss a film set at Christmas but not too Christmassy: The Apartment - winner of the 1960 Academy Award for Best Picture.

The film stars Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Following the success of Some Like It Hot, director Billy Wilder reunited with screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond for this sharp, witty, and bittersweet romantic comedy.

Bud Baxter is a well-meaning but naive insurance clerk who lends his apartment to senior managers for their extramarital affairs, hoping the favour will earn him a promotion. But as office politics collide with his own romantic aspirations, Bud soon finds himself in over his head.

"The quintessential New York movie – with exquisite design by Alexandre Trauner and shimmering black-and-white photography – it presented something of a breakthrough in its portrayal of the war of the sexes, with a sour and cynical view of the self-deception, loneliness and cruelty involved in ‘romantic’ liaisons."

The film is available to stream for free on itvX or Tubi.