On V List of Movie Reviews

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The V.I.P.s (1963)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 1/17

VIPS
1/17: The V.I.P.s is Airport minus the disaster with Grand Hotel type of story.

There are four parallel threads going on at the same time, but the one with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton is the most compelling. The idea of a love triangle was inspired by the story of Vivien Leigh leaving Laurence Olivier for Peter Finch but only to be delayed by a fog at Heathrow Airport. Olivier eventually persuaded her to come home.

In their second film together, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton are great, serving as the main reason why The V.I.P.s merits a look. At the same time, Louis Jourdan talks too much, killing the momentum the other two were trying to generate. A cane stick should've appeared out of nowhere to drag him away by the neck for good.

The second best and only other worthwhile thread features Rod Taylor and Maggie Smith in one of her earliest screen roles. It's easy to feel for their characters due to business problems they're having. Orson Welles is part of the third thread which is mostly for a nonessential comedic effect. He was just having fun by hamming it up.

Playing a kook, Margaret Rutherford is useless, adding nothing of substance. How she won, let alone be nominated for, Best Supporting Actress Oscar is a great mystery. It should've gone to Maggie Smith instead. A fun fact is that Sophia Loren was ordered by Elizabeth Taylor to stay home in Rome because she wanted to take over the role.

All in all, check out The V.I.P.s if you want more of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.