The Apartment

Legendary comedy-crafter Billy Wilder masterfully mixes light and dark elements to create a romance that is brightly funny, yet emotionally rich and complex. To his nosy neighbors, 1960s Manhattanite C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is a tireless Casanova, with a new girl in his bachelor pad every night of the week. But in truth, Baxter is a nebbish aspiring executive who lends out the apartment each night to his corporate higher-ups for use in their extramarital affairs in exchange for a professional leg-up. But he only has eyes for one girl, the lovely Miss Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), an elevator operator who seems too smart to fall for the philandering suits that shamelessly flirt with her each day. However, as Baxter climbs the corporate ladder, he discovers his dream girl isn't what she appears. But then again…neither is he. By means of a shockingly dark plot twist, this misunderstood pair of dreamers uncover what may well be a rocky road to true love. Exchanging sharp and sassy banter Lemmon and MacLaine share a captivating onscreen chemistry, guided by Wilder's deft direction and captured in simple cinematography and striking black and white film stock. Simply put, it's altogether pitch-perfect.