Product: Holiday (1938)
Rating: 5.0
Fine Grant & Hepburn film
Being George Cukor the director you can't go wrong. The poster doesn't tell the truth, though. There's no holiday in this movie. It's a very indoors comedy, and one feels it should have some scene outside, at least at the end when the happy couple is supposed to finally board a ship.The story is very simple and everyone can figure what the end is going to be, though you'll want to know how it's going to come about. Grant and Hepburn are excellent; it's hard to tell who does better. The script writer is the same as in "Philadelphia Story", and does a fine work here too. Now, I wouldn't call this a comedy, although that's what it's supposed to be; if so, this is the saddest comedy I've seen. There's also an exaggeration in the theme about rich people being all empty and sad souls, given to drinking or drugs to fill their emptiness. The film takes it for granted that it's always like that, its point of view is a little manichaean. One would have liked some more specifics about the lives of the characters.Anyhow, this is a very good film, but not as good as the really great comedies... say "Bringing Up Baby", "Philadelphia Story", or "Ball of Fire", no. Actually these last titles are way above "Holiday".