Since Eyes Wide Shut is a heavy-handed film about how the fantasy of how relationship infidelity is much different than the reality, we’ll switch gears to a more lighthearted holiday story about a man who’s more than happy to assist others in their extramarital affairs.
Directed by Billy Wilder
Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L Diamond
Starring: Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine
A lowly employee at an insurance company doesn’t have much that makes him stand out at work. However, he does have a coveted apartment located near the office that he loans to a few company executives for their secret flings in exchange for praise within the company. The tenuous arrangement does get him the promotion he craves but it’s coupled with an additional arrangement with his boss. While he may have positioned himself professionally, he didn’t leave much room for his own love life which is further complicated by what he sees at the company Christmas party.
Billy Wilder’s film straddles decades with its 1960 release but it’s probably more at home in the 50s. This movie is relatively taboo for its era but Wilder was keenly aware of drawing the line with the subject matter which is why the story is more about the comical predicament of the main character. The screenplay by Wilder and Diamond follows C.C. Baxter as he navigates the monotony of his job and pines for one of his co-workers. As a result, the audience can get on board with cheering for Baxter rather than spending any emotional energy on the numerous co-workers who use his apartment to cheat on their partners. Not that I want to see it remade, but I could totally see this story working today.
While I could see a contemporary version of this story working with someone like Ryan Reynolds, there’s simply no replacing Jack Lemmon as Baxter. His gift for comedy was special and his facial expressions alone were an art form. I was introduced to his particular brand of genius late in his career, but this is a great role to see him in his prime. We’re also treated to the great Shirley MacLaine primarily opposite Lemmon as his love interest, Fran Kubelik. With a pair of stars like this in the key roles, you can’t really go wrong.
It’s less directly Christmas-y than the majority of the other films on this list as it transcends the celebration of the day itself, but it’s close enough. The Apartment is available with premium subscriptions through Hulu and Sling TV and available for rent through on-demand streaming services.
Whoever you spend them with, Happy Holidays!