Customer Reviews

Breakfast at Tiffanys

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Audrey Hepburn had a lot of memorable, glamorous roles as highly individual, sensitive young women.

But her most iconic turn was as Holly Golightly, a frivolous young woman with a highly sensitive core. Hepburn is a ball of shimmering charm here, whether she's setting hats on fire or chasing nameless cats through the rain, and she's able to shine brightly enough to obscure a few flaws (such as Mickey Rooney). The other actors do serviceable jobs, but she's undeniablythe star.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's" is a daily ritual for Holly Golightly (Hepburn), a social butterfly who hosts parties, entertains drunken men for their fifty-dollartips, and dreams of owning a horse farm in Mexico with her brother. When kept-man Paul Varjak (George Peppard) moves into a neighboring apartment -- courtesy of his rich patroness -- he is instantly enchanted by the ditzy, sweet-natured Holly.

But for all Holly's fun, Paul starts to realize that all is not well with her. She's desperate to marry a spectacularly wealthy man, parties with wild crowds, visits a notorious gangster in jail, and hides that she was an illiterate teen bride to a hick doctor. As Holly's life starts to deteriorate, Paul sets out to show her what her life will be like without real love.

Reportedly Truman Capote wasn't happy with the movie version of "Breakfast At Tiffany's" -- they changed the ending from his short story's, and he didn't like Hepburn as Holly Golightley. But this is one case where the movie's quality is not reflected by what the author thought of it -- taken on its own merits, it's a fine chocolate with a bittersweet center.

Much of the movie is devoted to the friendship (and unspoken attraction) between Holly and Paul, and how it disrupts their comfortable shallow lives. Paul spends the whole movie unravelling the unhappy tale of Holly's life as she starts spinning out of control. Things climax nastily with Holly's already-questionable reputation being sullied, but the finale is an exquisite mix of brutal honesty, true love and a very unglamorous rainstorm.

That said, it's a pretty hilarious movie -- witty dialogue ("... if you like dark, handsome, rich-looking men with passionate natures and too many teeth") and plenty of kooky humour ("TIMBER!" Holly yells as a drunken model keels over, followed by the crowd parting like the Red Sea). And there are plenty of charming, warm'n'fuzzy moments, like the cute day trip through New York.

One thing that will make viewers cringe: Mickey Rooney's caricatured Japanese landlord who objects to Holly's parties. Not. Funny.

Though she was no party girl, Audrey Hepburn is pitch-perfect as Holly -- she can be flaky and adorable ("I'm CRAAAZY about Tiffany's?"), chattery and glamorous, with a cat she refuses to name because they're just a pair of "poor slobs who don't belong to anybody." But she can just as easily flip the switch to show the wounded, almost childlike side.

George Peppard is just as good -- albeit less winsome -- as a writer-turned-kept-man-turned-writer-again, whose protective affection for Holly grows as the movie goes on, but who has to get through her ironclad defenses. And Patricia Neal rounds out the cast nicely as the icy, cynical woman whom Paul gives his non-literary services to.

Hepburn is the flawed diamond at the heart of "Breakfast at Tiffany's," and her charm and acting ability elevate this beyond just another adorable romantic comedy.

Because of the fact that I'm only 17 years old, I just got around to watching this movie. I'd always heard about it but I never knew what it was about. And, to be quite honest, I didn't even think about watching it because I thought it was in black and white! (Eh, I didn't know when it was made!)

My dad made me watch it this past weekend and I fell in love with it! Unlike most romantic comedies made today, both main characters are broke. It doesn't follow the mold of: poor/average girl falls for rich guy blah blah blah or the other way around. It was funny (Mickey Rooney's character was HILARIOUS!) and sad (when Holly finds out about Fred) and sappy (the last 20 minutes) all at the same time.

This movie is great for anyone, whether you saw it the first time around or you're a "late viewer" like me.

Film starts with Audrey Hepburn stopping by Tiffany & Co. in the morning at 6am, having her breakfast pretzel and coffee while standing in front of the Tiffany store, looking through the window and staring at the beatiful Tiffany's jewellery. She feels calm, relax, joyfully walking back to her apartment. Story begins with her new neighbor....

This is a truly gorgeous romantic film, a real classic. A film really you can watch many many times without getting bored. Since 1961, I'm sure lots of people agree and have been watching this film again and again and again during this 40 years. Oscar winning music, beautiful theme song 'Moon River' meets with gorgeous romantic story.

"Moon river wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style someday
You dream maker, you heartbreaker
Wherever you're going I'm going your way
Two drifters off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbows end
Waiting round the band
My huckleberry friend, moon river

And me..."

Such charming may wonder you ever find a counterpart from nowadays. Overall, buy it own it watch it feel it and re-watch it.

"Breakfast at Tiffany s" (1961) is simply a classic, one of those films you just need to watch. I did that tonight. Why didn t I watch it before? I suppose I wasn t curious enough, and I didn t think that this movie could live up to the buzz. Thankfully, I was wrong.

The story takes place in New York, and is based on a novella written by Truman Capote, adapted to the screen by George Axelrod and directed by Blake Edwards. The cast is simply wonderful, and the wardrobe, stunning.

One of the main characters is the exquisitely beautiful Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn), an enchanting young woman with many secrets that lives off the gifts given to her by older men. Holly has a cat without a name, because "The way I see it I haven't got the right to give him one. We don't belong to each other. We just took up one day by the river. I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like. It's like Tiffany's".

Holly s main purpose in life is to marry someone with lots of money, and finally be free. There is a small flaw in her plan, though: it doesn t take into account the fact that she might fall in love. However, that is just what might happen when she discovers a new neighbour, Paul Varjak (George Peppard), a struggling writer financed by an older woman, that happens to be very handsome and easy to talk to. When Holly and Paul meet, a friendship begins to develop between them. But can something else happen, when Paul has no money, and Holly is afraid of being in love and belonging to someone? Watch this film, and find out!

All in all, I think that "Breakfast at Tiffany s" is the kind of movie you will want to watch more than once. Again, a classic to be enjoyed :)

Belen Alcat

This movie was the reason I love most movie from this time period, and of course, Audrey. What a gem.

Great Acting From Everyone. Beautiful song: Moon River! It deserved an oscar!! A real gem!!

I loved Breakfast at TIffany's. I had read about it from all of the gossip girl books and eventually became curious about the movie. I figured the movie would be good but I didn't expect to fall in love with it as much as I did. It is one of the best romantic comedy, chick flicks I have ever seen.

i love this movie so much!
it is a love story but its not sappy it is so fun to watch

it is not an earlier version of pretty woman at all (as another review stated) audrey hepburn does not play a prostitute really she just has a lot of suitors. Anyway i completely recommend it so worth the $

i love audrey hepburn. i also love truman capote. this is a stylist journey and well worth the read or watch.

I love Audrey Hepburn but I just never understood the appeal of this story. The character Audrey portrays is a hooker, yet she acts like a virgin princess, and we are supposed to -- what? -- love her? sympathize with her? Ditto Peppard. In a way it's an earlier version of Pretty Woman -- romanticize a prostitute to the point where she is not remotely a believable prostitute, thus making prostitution kind of sort of OK and not the demeaning thing it is. In both films, the women are seemingly motivated, not by a need to put food on the table, but by a desire for Real Money. How is this charming?