On B List of Movie Reviews

(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)


Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

Rate: 3
Viewed: 7/15

Tiffany
7/15: By directing Breakfast at Tiffany's, George Axelrod transforms Truman Capote's unfilmable novella into a filmable screenplay.

Apart from retaining the names for a couple of characters and several key moments, one thing that the film and the novella have in common is how equally bad they are. The latter is more of a character sketch for Holly Golightly while the former is more of a love story between her and the narrator which didn't originally happen. There are also other stripped elements causing the movie to resemble the novella hardly.

If Truman Capote was dismayed by this fact, it's because he was an overrated writer to begin with. His reputation mostly rested with In Cold Blood. Afterwards, he was famous for being famous. As for the film, Truman Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe instead of Audrey Hepburn for the role of Holly Golightly, but how could it have worked out if she had no acting skills to begin with and was drunk out of her mind most of the time? Anyway, Marilyn Monroe died the following year after the film's release.

To analyze Breakfast at Tiffany's is to start with Audrey Hepburn. My, my, my...where do I begin? She was never an actress but a model to begin with. That's why nearly all films had her wearing unique clothes which is a major distraction. Consequently, she's transformed into a walking fashion show, rendering the film as an afterthought.

All I can remember of Audrey Hepburn's performance is her silly outfits, serving as an excuse to make the movie better than it actually is. I'll say she captures 60% of Holly Golightly as depicted in the novella, but I think she could do better. Although too old to play Holly, Audrey Hepburn is perfect for the role, but it's impossible to overcome her pretentiousness.

George Peppard, whose career is only remembered for his role in the immensely popular TV sitcom The A-Team, is one-dimensional as Paul V-A-R-J-A-K, but he does a good job of not letting his performance bother me.

If there's anything I hate, it's the dumb decision to cast Mickey Rooney as the Japanese neighbor for the sake of comic relief which turns out to be absent. Hence, it's highly recommended that you watch Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story to feel the full effect. Blake Edwards would regret the move, but he should know better because it's one of the several characters not in the novella. Besides, his constant use of the party scene motif is tiresome. On the other hand, Patricia Neal gives a memorable, if mysterious, performance as 2-E, which is another character not in the novella.

Now, the following story is the best part: John Frankheimer was slated to direct the film with Marilyn Monroe in mind. When she was replaced by Audrey Hepburn, Audrey insisted the producers to buy out John Frankheimer's contract because she had never heard of him. Consequently, he went on to direct The Manchurian Candidate which is one of the greatest and most unforgettable movies of all time, and we have the stupid, ditzy birdbrain to thank for it.

All in all, Breakfast at Tiffany's is an overrated and outdated piece of crap.