Monday, November 8, 2010

Days of Wine and Roses, by Blake Edwards (1962)

   Jack Lemmon plays a young alcocholic that gets in love with the secretary in his new public relations job. By his influence, she also starts drinking. The movie shows the destructive impact of the addiction on their lives.

   After a number of false starts, he finally can keep sober for an year and seems to be keeping good care of their daughter. Alcoholics Anonymous provides him a good support, but she never joins the support group. They are separated for some time when she comes to visit.

   The final scene is very moving. She comes to visit. She's been sober for a couple of days. They love each other. She really can't stop drinking. She wants

   ... "things to look prettier than they are" ...

   ... "If we only had it back as it was" ...

   She leaves and he looks at her walking out of the building. The neon sign at the bar next door reflects at his window. She walks by the bar. For how long?  

   Don't miss Edwards' comments included on this DVD. He has been sober for forty years and he is very straightforward about his alcoholism. His comic touches made this bleak story more palatable, without making it didactic or trite.

  

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