Days of Wine and Roses

July 5, 2012

Days of Wine and Roses

I'm referring to the 1962 movie starring Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick. We watched it last night, mainly because it's been sitting here (from Netflix) for a couple of weeks, and we felt like watching a movie. It was not particularly Independence-Day-appropriate.

I've wanted to see it for a long time, but I'm not sure why. I think it has a lot to do with the title, which as you may know is from a poem by Ernest Dowson (text here), and most especially with the great Johnny Mercer/Henry Mancini song. I listened to several versions of it on YouTube, including ones by better artists (e.g. Frank and Ella), but they all too lots of liberties with the melody, or were incongruously up-tempo. I feel a bit apologetic about posting this one by Andy Williams, but only a bit, because I've always rather liked his voice (not keen on this arrangement, though).

It's a pretty good movie, but I don't especially recommend it unless you have braced yourself for a rough experience. It's about the happy courtship and subsequent downward spiral of an alcoholic couple, and it does not paint a pretty picture, not at all. Of course a good bit of it seems dated, and it sometimes seems about to become a commercial for Alcoholics Anonymous, but that's okay, because you really want the characters to get free. Jack Lemmon's performance is very good, if occasionally over the top, and Lee Remick's is even better. I knew her name but couldn't remember anything in particular she'd done. I was impressed.

Film, Music

3 responses to “Days of Wine and Roses”

Janet

July 5, 2012

SPOILER
When I was in high school, my parents bought a piano from the widow of the man whose piano it had been. I had always wanted to take piano lessons, and while I was much too busy when the piano finally showed up, I taught myself how to play the melodies of the sheet music that was in the piano bench. The Days of Wine and Roses was one of the pieces I learned, so when it came on TV, I watched it. I think it was the first movie I had ever watched that did not have a happy ending. I couldn’t figure out what the point was of making such a sad, sad movie, but now I realize that it was a good movie.
Also, this was how I began to drink Brandy Alexanders and to think that I would like to read the encyclopedia cover to cover.
AMDG

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Mac

July 5, 2012

SPOILAGE CONTINUED
My wife was confidently expecting that all would turn out ok in the end. I wasn’t so sure. The Netflix envelope said it was an hour and 57 minutes long, and as the clock got to 1:54 or so I figured it was getting too late for a turnaround.
Your last idea was a good one, the second one good as long as you didn’t follow in Kirsten’s footsteps.

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Janet

July 5, 2012

Well, at the time, I was too young to get them easily, and then I moved on to other things. I would like one now, though.
I thankfully did not follow in her footsteps for very long, although I think I might have and consider it a great grace that I didn’t
AMDG

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