Monday, January 3, 2011

❦ Sabrina (1995)

(I saw the original 1954 Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn years ago, but don't remember enough to make any comparisons, so my thoughts on the 1995 remake aren't in any way comparative.)

I love the opening sequence of this movie. The piano melody under Sabrina’s voice makes me feel tranquil, ready to be swept up into the story. It makes the opening memorable; and it’s pleasantly familiar each time I see the film.

Sabrina’s transformation is brilliant. I think it’s amazing that Julia Ormond was able to play both the pre- and post-Paris Sabrina—she looks so incredibly different! She very convincingly goes from young girl, to grown woman. She even seems taller when she gets back from Paris, although it’s unclear in the film just how long she was away. Kudos to the costume designers—they made excellent choices for creating the illusion of a growth spurt: the long loose-fitting clothes pre-Paris made her appear shorter.

I love the relationship between Sabrina and her dad.

Although as a whole, the film fails to make an emotional connection, I really connect with the emotion of many scenes in the film, and I suspect this is a credit to the actors. I can feel Sabrina’s infatuation with David, how he’s her entire world until she grows up a bit.

In Paris, I enjoy Sabrina’s friendship with Irene, and what she says about Sabrina seeming to be embarrassed by loneliness—it’s just a place to start. Such a lovely scene. And the cutaway is too abrupt. It needed a few more seconds, to serve the film as a whole.

Absolutely love the kitchen staff scenes - Rosa is hilarious! However, the cutaways from these scenes are much too jarring, too abrupt. Needed a few more seconds before the cut.

I love Sabrina and Louis dancing in the club in Paris! Great song and great scene! So happy to see Sabrina making friends and beginning to bloom. ☺

Good chemistry between Linus and David. And Linus and their mother, Maude. Enjoy those scenes.

Sabrina looked so beautiful for the Larrabee party. I love that dress! It seems perfect on her, like lovely and unpretentious haute couture.

I get a very classic, old-Hollywood feel as I watch David and Sabrina dancing together at the party. Very classy and quaint. Lovely music from the orchestra, compliments the scene well.

Lovely poem about how Sabrina got her name, and I like how it ties into her relationship with Linus.

Sabrina really does save Linus. She shows him a whole new dimension to life and living. He had no idea. As he said, he did what his dad did; who did was his dad did. And Sabrina saying: “But that’s work. Where do you live, Linus?” Brilliant.

Nice development of Linus' and Sabrina's falling in love.

I especially like the scene when Linus and Sabrina return from dinner in the city to find David waiting in the driveway. It's clear that Sabrina is now falling in love with Linus, and that the David fantasy has finally been cracked.

The film has a lovely score - it just needed more of it in some of the key scenes!

Which leads to one of my biggest disappointments with this movie…Sabrina’s second visit to Linus’ office is so wonderfully acted, but this is an instance where score is sorely missed. Their words drop like dead weight without it. The inclusion of the score would’ve lifted the rich emotions of this scene right into my heart. Instead, it seems as if it doesn’t even belong in the movie! The scene is left bare, dry and very boring. It stops the pace dead. Why, oh why, was this entire sequence not scored? Who made this decision? Big, big mistake. Huge. I would venture to say this is what killed this movie’s chance for word-of-mouth buzz at box office time. It’s that important.

Scoring would’ve even made their first kiss much more emotional, more exciting.

In general, the cutaways in this film are too abrupt and jarring; they don’t allow for seamless viewing, and I think this is one of the main reasons this movie requires multiple views before it can make its way into your heart. The editor is in the way.

Cute seeing the basketball goal in David’s office. Like “The Rons.” And Patrick Tyson is hilarious.

It’s nice to see that David was capable of stepping up to the company plate in the end, taking over for Linus.

And I like how Sabrina’s little speech, meant for David in the beginning of the film, was, by the end, meant for Linus. I can actually imagine their life together in Paris: lovely, passionate, happy.

“Save me, Sabrina Fair.”




4 comments:

Blair said...

I was totally bored by this movie. The original was way better.

Blair

Lynn said...

Great review. I am also a fan of this version and agree with your observations about the emotional aspects, spot on!

Dinah said...

I love this version! I fell asleep on the one with Audrey Hepburn.

Great review!! I think your points are well made.

Lisa said...

My favorite movie! Definitely this version!