Customer Reviews

Sabrina

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Everybody loves a good Cinderella story, especially if it has a dash of realism and a sense of humour. And unbaked souffles.

And methinks it also helps the case if you have Audrey Hepburn as the modern Cinderella-with-a-wit, which is the strongest point in the charming little romance called "Sabrina." While the chemistry between Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart is never entirely believable, the movie is as buoyant and whimsical as a summer daydream, but with way better dialogue ("Bounce please, ladies").

Sabrina Fairchild (Hepburn) is the daughter of the chauffeur at the palatial Larabee estate. She's also in love with the ne'er-do-well second son, David (William Holden) -- and even attempts suicide after seeing him with one of his many girlfriends, although she's rescued by David's stiff older brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart). The next day Sabrina is sent away to Paris to attend a cooking school, where she meets a kindly old count who teaches her sophistication, ambition and confidence... as well as the ability to make a souffle properly ("A woman happily in love, she burns the souffle. A woman unhappily in love, she forgets to turn on the oven!").

When she returns to the Larabees' estate, the lovelorn little chauffeur's daughter has become a clever sophisticated Parisian beauty (and a pretty good cook). David is instantly smitten. But even if marrying a chauffeur's daughter were okay with his family, Linus has arranged a business marriage for David for the family's newest innovation, which requires large amounts of sugar. And to make sure David doesn't run off with Sabrina, Linus begins wooing her too... and falling in love for real.

"Sabrina" is one of those shimmering romantic comedies that Hollywood once succeeded in whipping together every now and then, and which they now desperately try to imitate with cutesy scripts and arch performances. No such artificiality is present in this movie, though -- it's just a relaxed little romance that ambles through a predictable little plot, and is content to let itself to be illuminated by Hepburn's presence. No gimmicks, no cutesiness.

Part of "Sabrina's" charm is the way Billy Wilder handles the comedy aspect of it -- rather than playing everything for laughs, he simply lets the laughs fall like a shower of petals. There are some laugh-out-loud moments (David sitting on a pair of champagne flutes, and having to lie in a hammock with a cut-out for his injured bottom) but most of the humour is gentle and mildly mocking, such as Mr. Larabee standing in his son's closet so he can have a smoke. And the dialogue adapted from Samuel A. Taylor's play is no less adorable ("You make it sound so vulgar, David, as if the son of hot dog dynasty were being offered in marriage to the daughter of the mustard king").

And perhaps what makes "Sabrina" a really heartwarming experience is the sunny, hopeful attitude. Despite starting with an attempted suicide (which is thwarted in a very tongue-in-cheek manner), the movie soon decides to "throw open the windows and letting in... letting in la vie en rose." It's all about having dreams come true by refusing to run away from love or life, and being open to the suddenly curve balls that they throw you.

But even so, the movie would only be a sweet featherlight curiosity if it weren't for Audrey Hepburn, who was only in her second major movie. She's absolutely transcendent in her role -- bursting with sweetness, enthusiasm, confidence and an almost gleeful joie de vivre. And while she's never entirely convincing as a plain teenager, she is magnificent as a confident, stylish young lady who sweeps into a moneyed party in a black-and-white ball gown. And steals the show, of course.

And the cast supporting her is pretty brilliant -- William Holden is full of sprightly charm as David, Walter Hampden is hilarious as the brittle henpecked Larabee patriarch, and John Williams is quietly solid as Sabrina's long-suffering dad. Humphrey Bogart's gruff, slightly angular Linus is a nice foil for the exuberant Sabrina, but there's pretty much zero chemistry between the two leads. Perhaps it's because Bogart didn't like Hepburn in real life, or maybe their styles just didn't click.

"Sabrina" is a frothy, romantic little tale about reaching for the moon, filled with sparkling dialogue and still-fresh comedy. But its crowning gem is Hepburn, whose early performances showed what a brilliant actress she was.

A must see for any Audrey hepburn fan!!

It almost begins like a fairy tale, how once upon a time, on the north shore of Long Island, some 30 miles from New York, there lived a small girl on a large estate. So goes the opening narration by Audrey Hepburn, which sets the story in motion and introduces the Larrabee estate and family, also goes on to describe an English chauffeur named Fairchild and his daughter, Sabrina, played of course by Hepburn, in this romantic comedy based on Samuel Taylor's play Sabrina Fair.

Sabrina's sent to a cooking school in Paris, which not only prepares her for a vocation, but to help her get over her crush over David Larrabee (William Holden), the dashing playboy who spent short periods at many colleges and even shorter periods with his three wives (consecutive, of course). Ironic, considering that Holden had a crush on Hepburn, which led to a brief affair, and for him, a torch he carried through the rest of his life. The advice she gets is "don't reach for the moon." The thing is, she's the last of the romantics, "l'amour toujours" as described by Linus Larrabee, the business brains behind the multimillion Larrabee holdings, which include land and water, copper, construction, and now, a new kind of plastic that's resilient and tastes sweet(!!)

After two years in Paris, she is a vision of beauty, chic, with a new haircut, and transformed, yet still the romantic, as she vows to be in the world and of the world, and "never ever run away from life, or from love either."

Linus plans to marry David off to Elizabeth Tyson, whose father owns the second largest sugar cane in Puerto Rico, the ceremonial part of a $20 million merger with Tyson. This is put in jeopardy with Sabrina's return, and David, who previously ignored her, is bedazzled. Yet Sabrina, who's reluctantly wooed by Linus to salvage the deal, finds out there's more to him than just the "cold businessman...with ice in his veins, ticker tape coming from his heart." She finds out he's nice and quite human.

"Remember, it's the 20th century" is a reminder that the Victorian days of knowing one's place is gone. Fairchild sees life as a limousine: "there's a front seat, there's a back seat, and a window inbetween." He later says "Nobody poor was called democratic for marrying someone rich." Mother and Father Larrabee believe that, as they are scandalized at David's affections towards Sabrina, and see her in terms of class status.

Other great scenes include the cooking school, but the party scene when Sabrina appears in her bare-shouldered white dress and becomes the belle of the ball dancing with David, shows her at her most radiant and resplendent.

Humphrey Bogart is great as Linus, scheduled, sensible, loyal, observant, honest, and yet with a softer side. John Williams is perfect as Tom Fairchild. And Jenny the maid is played by Nancy Kulp, best known as Ms. Hathaway in the Beverly Hillbillies TV series. But Francis X. Bushman as old Mr. Larrabee has some funny moments with a penchant for martinis and cigars (whenever his wife's not around). Hepburn would be reunited with director Billy Wilder in Love In The Afternoon.

However, Sabrina also sees birth of a long-time association between Audrey and a certain Hubert de Givenchy, who did her costumes for many of her films. No Oscar for Hepburn, though she was nominated, but this film got me on my Hepburn kick back in the 90's, and is especially wonderful for those living "la vie en rose" as Sabrina does. To conclude, forget the 1995 remake--watch the original instead.

I saw Sabrina on TCM and I liked it and I think it's a wonderful movie and I think Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden were terrific and I recommend this movie and I'm planning on buying the DVD! I will probably get slammed for saying this but I also liked the remake that starred Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear and I plan on buying that movie on DVD too! They are both charming, delightful movies that can be enjoyed on their ownrights and though I have seen remakes that were horrible the remake of this movie was fine but I suspose that since I saw the remake first that I was able to enjoy it because I wasn't comparing it to the original!

When you watch this movie,Audrey was Sabrina. Both Sabrina and Audrey were very beautiful,shy, and mystical.When she makes her appearance after returning from Paris,Audrey looks absolutely stunning and gorgeous.Combine her looks and her adorable charm,you can see why she was cast in this film.In the scene at the ball,she asks David(William Holden)if he wants to kiss her,(and who wouldn't)she looks at him with that beautiful face and alluring eyes. She was absolutely adorable and did a splendid job in her acting abilities. I will never,ever, grow tired watching an Audrey Hepburn movie.To me, she was the prettiest of all the actresses.And what an actress! I strongly recommend this version over the 1995 remake with Harrison Ford.

"Sabrina" is a strange mix that works well, even when you think it wouldn't at first glance.

The wide-eyed innocence and optimism of Audrey Hepburn, falling in love with the cynical, world-weary and worn Humphrey Bogart. Hepburn is as good here as in any film, and it would take a powerful cynic indeed not to fall in love with her. Bogart offers a good challenge, but in the end he is no match. I have heard some complain that he is too old in this film, but to me that only adds to the charm, as the age is acknowledged and dealt with, rather than fumbled over.

Aside from the pure love story, there are some interesting wisdoms on relations between the rich and the not-rich. "Sabrina" is a smart flick, and serves up a realistic side dish to its romance.

Not much going on here with this DVD, but it is enough to make me happy. The short documentary is nice, and the film looks good.

But ah, the Golden Age of Hollywood! How nice it is to be swept away occasionally on a soft cloud of romance and style. If you are in need of a fix, "Sabrina" cures what ails you.

This delightful, poignant comic romance showcases Hepburn at her waiflike best and Bogart as his usual masterful self. Sabrina, the beautiful daughter of a chauffeur, is fresh home from Paris and eager to ensnare the engaged playboy, David. With goofy abandon, David reciprocates her affections and is willing to mess up his family's fortunes in the process. Enter his Machiavellian brother Linus (Bogart), who coldly and calculatingly woos Sabrina himself in order to get her out of the way. But can his cold heart be truly immune? The cinematography, dialogue, and directing are expert in this classic, which takes a light farce and gives it believable weight as a deeper romance full of moral dilemma. Sabrina's growth from impulsive girl into a more understanding woman is brilliant. They don't make many movies like this any more, relying on the script and the actors to create the atmosphere superbly.

Fleshly lusts. Hollywood. With Satan, these play to the weak by stooping to the gutter, dipping into unsavory slime. Slather our minds with evil dressed sweetly with pomp and circumstance. Sabrina portrays drunkenness, revelry, deceit, immorality, lust, pride, fornication and adultery, but it doesn't stop there.

To start off, would YOU want YOUR daughter chasing after a womanizing drunk, in this case David Larrabee (portrayed by William Holden)? Yet the hapless father of Sabrina, the Larrabee chauffeur, very carefully drives the rich about, yet can't see straight enough to steer his daughter right when it comes to men. Throughout, he never says a word about her abominable choices, manipulations, interference with the engagement of David, her deceitfulness, or her entanglement with David's brother, Linus (Humphrey Bogart).

Sabrina's father is more of a wimp than Homer Simpson! He sits around saying nothing and doing less than that to truly help Sabrina. The gaggle of Larrabee servants -- "The Sabrina Fan Club" of weak-minded gossips -- try living life through Sabrina, hoping she lands one a wealthy Larrabee boy as her hubby. Evidently the theme is, if, and no matter HOW, one of the lowly working-class people can make it into High Society, then it's a "victory" for the entire working class. You GO, girl!

The end justifies the means. Go for all the gusto you can, get yourself up in the world, by hook or by crook. Look at the mess that kind of thinking has us in; Enron, Freddie Mac, the tobacco company lawsuits. Is "winning" at any cost REALLY what life is about? Few people have the eternal perspective; whatever happened to HONESTY and good moral principles, to "it's not whether you win or loose, but how you play the game"?

Early in the film: Sabrina perched in a tree, watching a gala at the mansion. She sees David put champagne glasses into his tuxedo pants pockets. He grabs a bottle of bubbly and heads off to the indoor tennis court to meet a damsel for drinking and fornication. Sabrina gets jealous. She is about to leave for Europe and now her heart is broken, oh, boo-hoo.

When Sabrina feels overwhelmed because she didn't get her way with David, she makes a choice that many psychiatric patients have made, attempting suicide. But, Linus to the rescue in a bit of weak foreshadowing as he nixes the noxious fumes of eight cars idling in the garage with the doors closed. Funny how chauffeur Daddy didn't notice, but he obviously doesn't care so of course the script has to be consistent with his role, the interplay of characters, and various subthemes here and throughout the production.

Sabrina somewhat reluctantly goes on to Paris to study the culinary arts, resolving to become "the most sophisticated" lady that the Larrabee estate will ever see, imagining that she will return, peradventure like General MacArthur in the Philippines. Oh, what drivel, coveting such a vacuous title, but the movie plods along in this earthly, selfishly sinful, boastful vein. Sure enough, after learning how to break and beat eggs with the best of them (where is the SPCA when we need them?), Sabrina returns -- badder than Shaft, can you dig it?

David-the-playboy/wolf soon forgets about his current fiancé, then plots with Sabrina to dump the wife-to-be and carry on with Sabrina instead. They kiss while dancing...is there anyone for tennis...David puts the champagne glasses into his tuxedo pants pockets...he makes a move for the bubbly...but once again, Linus to the rescue!

Thrown in for good measure are a few scenes where you realize that the father of these Larrabee boys does nothing but drink, sneak puffs on a cigar behind his wife's back, and drink some more. Mrs. Larrabee is some sort of a hound, a watchdog, and it seems that she's only as good as the last sneaky thing that Mr. Larrabee got away with. What wonderful moral values Hollywood tried to portray in those days!

Drink, smoke, cheat, lie, fornicate, commit adultery and whatnot, so that today, all the film industry has left is to portray homosexuality (see Leviticus 18:22), adult-child sex, LOTS of blood, violence, and always have coarse language, along with maybe a WOMAN winning a fist-fight against a man, just to keep everything upside down. Sabrina and films of its ilk are an embarrassment to the United States of America and helped us earn our "Great Satan" title. The Bible tells us that the things men esteem highly are of no value to God. So what if Sabrina was nominated for a half a dozen Academy Awards, it's filth.

Linus orchestrates Sabrina away from David for a time. Linus has the family's business interests at heart, so he starts manipulating the situation, then realizes he has feelings for Sabrina. Funny how he's old enough to be her father, hmm, maybe he could step in for the dud chauffer dad, but, look out, folks, Linus turns out to really love Sabrina and the movie comes rapidly to a close.

What's WRONG with this picture? Just about everything when viewed from the perspective of true, Biblical and godly morals.

It's not a romantic film, it's about lust. It's not charming or even "cute", but portrays lies and manipulation. It is not a great film, only trash. It's not a classic because it fails to portray class. It's not even witty; it's DISGUSTING. Shame on playwright Samuel Taylor for dreaming it up -- greater shame on Billy Wilder and Hollywood for putting it on celluloid.

This was a ho-hum movie with a farcical premise, it gets only a rating of "1" because the Amazon.com system doesn't go lower, or I'd have given it a ZERO for sure.

(ALSO: See my review of "Where The Boys Are")

My appreciation for this movie has sky-rocketed this last week. I recently watched the new Sabrina with Harrison Ford... it didn't even compare! This version is much much better! I've read the review for this movie... some think Bogart was too old for this movie or that the interplay between Hepburn and Bogart wasn't good. I definitely disagree! The chemistry between Audrey and Bogart is fantastic... the screen just sparks with it! I'm not sure of the behind the screens of this movie... some say that Bogart and Hepburn didn't work well together... all I know is that is produces something between them that is incomparable! Only couples like Cary Grant & Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall & Bogart can produce this much chemistry on the screen!

I love the story of Sabrina...
Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) is the plain looking daughter of a chauffer. She falls in love with the playboy son, David (William Holden), of the wealthy people her father serves. David doesn't notice her... Her father sends her off to a cooking school in Paris and there she becomes transformed into a dazzlingly gorgeous young lady. She comes home stunningly beautiful and catches the eye of the playboy son, David. Linus (Bogart) has worked out a merger with this company and rich family who owns sugarcane plantations. Part of the deal is that David is marrying their daughter. So Linus has to draw Sabrina away from David, because he's already engaged... and Sabrina falls in love with Linus... I won't give the end away... I'll just say it's worth the watch... It leaves you satisfied. Sometimes you watch a movie and at the end you are like... "So?" ... It didn't end well... Well this is not one of those movies! I love this movie to death! The best Actors, music, and chemistry! A definite watch!

I am a young kid and since i have liked all of the Audrey Hepburn movies i have seen, I thought, why not watch another. I loved it. Audrey Hepburn was fantastic as Sabrina and Humphrey Bogart was great too. This is not just an adult movie. It will bring warmth to your heart every time you watch it.