color cinema already existed. It is a combination of screwball comedy, romantic comedy, thriller and gangster.

Rating: Null/10 (11 November 2013)

"Some Like It Hot"
It is a very interesting movie considering that it was made in 1959 in black and white, when color cinema already existed. It is a combination of screwball comedy, romantic comedy, thriller and gangster. With great music and an ingenious screen writing by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond. The director is also Billy Wilder.
The movie is set in 1929, during the time of the Prohibition. It starts when two Chicago musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry(Jack Lemmon) have to run from the police. In the middle of the little chaos, the same luck brings them to witness a murder on Valentine's Day. Making them two wanted men by Chicago's mafia. While they are looking for a job, they find a vacant on a girl band group for saxophone and bass players, respectively the instruments they both play. In the desperation, they disguise as women and join the band. They name themselves Josephine (Joe) and Daphne (Jerry). While in the girl band, Joe falls in love with Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe) and an old millionaire man, Osgood Fielding (Joe E Brown), falls in love with Daphne. Making it funnier because Osgood does not know that Daphne is a guy.
All of the main actors did an excellent performance, considering that it is seen as one of the greatest comedy films of all time. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are both dramatic and funny, which engages the audience with both of them. On the other hand, Marilyn Monroe is probably the most complex character. She acts as a more "elegantly vulgar" character and female drinker. She portrays the woman dependent of a man. And many have criticized the scene when she appears singing 'I Wanna Be Loved By You' with a nude color dress, and the lighting focused on a way that she appears to be naked.
I loved the scene when Joe is sitting on the bench while the girls are in the beach because it gives the plot a major turn around, creating a third character portrayed by Joe. And it complicates everything more. The fact of a lie on top of another lie and other lies, which give the audience a sense of suspense about how will it turn out. One scene that I did not specifically loved was when there is a second murderer because it looks a bit unrealistic and it is the same thing occurring all over again. An unrealistically bad luck.
This movie was considered extremely controversial and was even banned in certain places like Kansas. The fact of Joe and Jerry transforming themselves into Josephine and Daphne creates a sexual confusion on the very conservative time period that the movie was made. As the director Curtis Hanson said about the movie: "It's a film about sex – from the title to the final line. It's not just about sex as in people having sex; it's also about sexual attitudes, sexual roles and, of course, sexual identity." The relationship of Osgood and Daphne was probably the most criticized one because it becomes bigger and bigger at the point of them being engaged and when Joe asks Jerry "Who's the lucky girl?", Jerry answers "Me!." This gave a sense of confusion because the character could not realize why could not he marry Osgood. Finally, when he confesses to Osgood "I am a guy!", this one replies "Nobody's perfect." Which leaves the audience with a sense of confusion and trying to convey an idea of sexual identity. But overall, it was a very good movie with beautiful scenery and an unusual plot. It is considered one of the funniest movies of all time, and even though it was a bit controversial when it came out, it is nothing that you would not see in movies nowadays.
This movie has been considered to be a screwball comedy, which is a type of comedy that " distinguishes itself for being characterized by a female that dominates the relationship with the male central character, whose masculinity is challenged." It is also a romantic comedy, where we can see the romances of Sugar and Joe, and Osgood and Daphne being a major part of the plot. A thriller, where we do not know what will happen and if someone will ever find out that they are guys. It leaves the audience waiting for the climax. Finally, it is also considered a gangster film, where it is a crime-dealing movie and the Chicago mafia is trying to capture Joe and Jerry. The movie won an Oscar for costume design in black and white and the music is also very nice. The song "I Wanna Be Loved By You" had its most famous performance by Marilyn Monroe in this movie.
I would give this movie a 4.3/5
This review was written by a high school sophomore, who likes to listen to music and watch movies. It was written for a film appreciation class.