MovieChat Forums > Sabrina (1954) Discussion > If this is love...

If this is love...

posted 8 years ago by vertigothic70
10 replies | jump to latest

I'm sorry, I dislike this movie intensely. What a disappointment. I had been looking forward to this, settled down with a bottle of wine and a box of chocolates - Hepburn, Bogart, Wilder, what could possibly go wrong.

Sabrina is a very irritating protagonist. Does she have any interests at all in life besides being obsessed with her father's fabulously rich employers? First she's having a crush on the very obviously good-for-nothing playboy younger son who doesn't give her the time of day - to the point of wanting to kill herself, for God's sake, the selfish brat. Then she's shipped off to Paris, well clearly that was a waste of time and money, for all she acquired there were cooking skills and a little superficial polish, but she certainly didn't become any wiser. I sure would have felt sorry for her father if he hadn't been going on about 'knowing one's place' non-stop. And it only got worse from there. It's not the age difference I've got a problem with, it's everything else. I'm just not buying it. If this is love... it's depressing.

Why are these people so unlikeable?! I've liked Audrey Hepburn before, I've seen Breakfast at Tiffany's more times than I can count. But this thing has probably turned me off her frailty, her modesty and her sweet childlike voice for good. As far as Bogart is concerned, I will try to forget (and forgive) it ever happened.

This story is almost disturbing. It's like a saccharine-coated fairy tale version of A Kiss Before Dying.

clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am...

[–] perfect_peony 8 years ago

Yep, weird premise for a movie. Even if Bogie had been a *slightly* older brother, I could see it, but they made a joke of his listening to music from the twenties and such. Just yesterday I found out about a funny award, "Most Egregious Age Difference Between Leading Man and Love Interest", from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists. Also check out these charts http://www.vulture.com/2013/04/leading-men-age-but-their-love-interests-dont.html Make sure you scroll to the end for the "yay Tom Hanks" moment :-)

[–] vertigothic70 8 years ago

Thanks, interesting - no real surprises there, though!

Like I said, in Sabrina, the age difference doesn't even bother me that much, it simply highlights everything else that's wrong with this supposed romance.

clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am...

[–] perfect_peony 8 years ago

Well, it is pre-"Feminine Mystique". :-) Learn to cook + marry up in life = happy end, I guess.

[–] treasurechestoctober 8 years ago

I've never liked this film either. It actually could have been better if Linus was not as old as Bogie. I do like Bogart, but the age difference here was ridiculous beyond words!

Another thing, if you're a fan of William Holden, it just sucks seeing him in the part of David, there is nothing likeable, or redeemable about the character, it's a waste of Holden flat out! The whole thing was just "blah" for me.

[–] ShellOilJunior 8 years ago

Why are you apologizing?

[–] vertigothic70 8 years ago

Normally I don't write rants like this one. I felt an urge to vent, but I don't enjoy hating something that many people love. Well I do sometimes, but not old movies.

clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am...

[–] ms-zanadu 8 years ago

Normally I don't write rants like this one. I felt an urge to vent, but I don't enjoy hating something that many people love. Well I do sometimes, but not old movies.

I totally understand what you mean here vertigothic70 .
It seemed you wanted to really enjoy this film ( just like I wanted to )
but instead it turned out to be a bit of a surprising disappointment  .

It definitely wasn't the classic all star cast that made it a bit unwatchable
because we know how good their other past performances were in films  .

It seems the overall storyline and character development itself
just came up too short in this particular movie   .

Just like you I don't like putting down a classic film either
but if it's not measuring up to it's potential
why bother viewing it again   .

This of course is all just My Personal Opinions here
but if others here do like this film then I'm very glad
they are enjoying it
( I know of movies I like a lot but others do not and that's OK with me everyone is entitled to their own opinions
and so long as they are not being hurtful to one another about it either ? )
  .

Thanks vertigothic70 for your subject post
you however raised a lot of excellent points
about this film here too   .

[–] vertigothic70 8 years ago

Thank you, ms-zanadu!
😃

clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am...

[–] ms-zanadu 8 years ago

You're Welcome vertigothic70 ! 

[–] Hefferik90 8 years ago

It isn't my favorite film either. I too find the character of Sabrina irritating.
Even though she had come back from Paris supposedly all grown up she was still in la la land when it came to David. And when she responded to her father when he told her that David was engaged to be married.
"After all he's not married yet" she was being
Quite conniving and was ok with splitting up an engaged couple.
And David was an a hole anyway. Engaged to another woman and just fell apart when Sabrina came back on the scene. Ugh. All very shallow.