Dunedin Film Society to screen Billy Wilder's THE APARTMENT

[Dunedin Film Society]

WELCOME TO OUR NEXT SCREENING Billy Wilder's THE APARTMENT  (USA | 1960 | 125 mins | PG) Wednesday 8 July at 7.30pm University of Otago’s Colquhoun Lecture Theatre** Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine star in Wilder’s heartwarmingly cynical classic tale of an office worker who loans out his apartment as a trysting place for his philandering superiors.   “Billy Wilder perfected his signature mix of cynicism and sentiment with this sardonic romantic comedy... Jack Lemmon stars as Bud Baxter, a lowly office drone at a giant insurance firm who looks to scale the corporate ladder by loaning out his apartment to higher-ups for their extramarital assignations. Heartbroken when he discovers that his crush Fran (Shirley MacLaine) is the mistress of his callous boss (Fred MacMurray), Bud becomes her unlikely saviour when she attempts suicide from romantic despair. ” – TIFF Cinematheque “When Wilder and Lemmon worked together, their strongest films brought darkness and delight... This is their masterpiece, a wry comment on the vicious world of corporate America, but with an ending as romantic and beautiful as Hollywood ever mustered.” – Hannah Gatward, BFI "The movie has been photographed in widescreen black and white. The b&w dampens down any jollity that might sweep in with the decorations at the Christmas parties, bars and restaurants where the holidays are in full swing.  "And the widescreen emphasizes space that separates the characters, or surrounds them with emptiness. "The design of Baxter’s apartment makes his bedroom door, in the background just to the left of center, a focal point; in there reside the secrets of his masters, the reasons for his resentments, the arena for his own lonely slumber, and eventually the stage on which Miss Kubelik will play out the crucial transition in her life... The Apartment is still tougher and more poignant than the material might have permitted. The valuable element in Wilder is his adult sensibility; his characters can’t take flight with formula plots, because they are weighted down with the trials and responsibilities of working for a living. In many movies, the characters hardly even seem to have jobs, but in The Apartment they have to be reminded that they have anything else." Roger Ebert, Roger Ebert.com Watch the trailer of The Apartment ABOUT THE DUNEDIN FILM SOCIETY ADMISSION Free to members. TO JOIN NB: Half-year memberships are now available for $40 (waged)                                                                                 or $35 (unwaged). To purchase a Half Season membership: complete a membership form from our website and pay by online bank transfer (06-0942-0696013-00) or join at the door before any screening (cash only) you can also join at the OUSA office reception at the University of Otago (cash only) Alternatively, you can purchase a Three-Film sampler ($25), which can be also be shared to bring two friends to one screening. The sampler does not expire and can be used over multiple years.   Membership includes generous discounts at Rialto Cinemas (from Monday to Friday); and FREE entry to the 2025 screenings of all other affiliated New Zealand Film Societies. Each member is entitled to ONE FREE GUEST ADMISSION to a single screening.   Please see our website for further details **To get to the Colquhoun Theatre: The Colquhoun is located on the first floor of the current Dunedin Public Hospital, above the chapel and squash courts. Stairs and lift access are from the main Hospital entrance on Great King Street. WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK!... on this screening, or any other Dunedin Film Society showing, on dunedinfi...@gmail.com  –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Our mailing address is: Dunedin Film Society C/- 1 Crewe Street Maryhill Dunedin, Otago 9011 New Zealand