Starring: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard
Director: Blake Edwards
Rated: PG
Distributor: Paramount
“There once was a very lovely, very frightened girl. She lived alone except for a nameless cat.” So begins the story by Paul Varjak (George Peppard) about his singularly eccentric neighbour, Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn). Holly is a party girl par excellence who has inspired him to resume his career not only through her unique outlook on life but more practically, by buying him some typewriter ribbon. She’s a generous soul, throwing her door open to all sorts of exotic ragers. She also has more than just a touch of the gold digger about her. However, when certain gentlemen start demanding extra rights for picking up the bill, she’s forced slam that same door in their face. It’s on the run from one such a stalker that Holly finds herself in Paul’s upstairs apartment and discovers to her surprise that he too is a kept man. And so a bond between them is forged, a conspiracy of thieves who steal as much joy as they can in an otherwise dreary existence.
Breakfast At Tiffany’s was written by Truman Capote with Marilyn Monroe in mind and he was most distressed at the thought of Hepburn taking on the part in the screen adaptation. Hepburn herself had grave reservations about playing the role, having three months prior given birth to her first child, but she overcame her fears by enlisting her favourite cinematographer, Franz Planer, and her treasured couturier, Givenchy, and created one of the most enduring and endearing character s in the history of cinema.
From the very first vision of Holly stepping out of a yellow cab at 5 in the morning in deserted downtown Manhattan, wearing her slinky black cocktail dress, long black gloves, tiara, pearls and sunglasses, we’re hooked. She saunters up to the window of the legendary jewellers, Tiffany and Co. and stares in, casually munching on a Danish pastry and sipping a cup of take away coffee. It’s sheer heaven.
The only down side to this rather racy movie is Mickey Rooney’s overblown performance as Holly’s Japanese neighbour Mr Yunioshi. Still, Hepburn is so radiant that she overshadows even this low point. With an Oscar winning score by Henri Mancini featuring the classic song ‘Moon River’, this is one for all you die hard love junkies out there.