Blake Edwards directed Breakfast at Tiffany´s back in 1961, an iconic film and wardrobe that turned Audrey Hepburn into one of the most memorable figures of the History of Films.

Based on the novel by Truman Capote.

Storyline

A young girl from New York seeking luxury everywhere, falls in love with her neighbor (a writer, and a poor guy). Together, they live a strange relationship that is a battle from within and from outside.

Movie Review

We cannot (and do not) separate the iconic nature of this film, of the “real” New York, the one (they say) existed. No, today there is nothing left of it (they say Wall Street itself has disappeared, these are the times we live in). There is nothing left of the elegance, that bittersweet joy of a joyful and bitter portrayal of capitalism.

The novel is by Truman Capote. He wrote this one (which is not so famous) and In Cold Blood. He knew what he was talking about: he loved parties, luxury… and ended up living in a caravan (he said he was happy doing that). Nobody like Capote understood that “good society”, the luxury of New York of the people with cash and who were a little crazy. The novel is pretty good, but we aren´t sure that the movie is even better.

We have George Peppard (John “Hannibal” Smith in The A Team) and we have, of course, Audrey Hepburn in the role of her life and for which we suppose it was worth living (even if she had a bad time in her younger years but we are going to be happy here).

(It is so, so powerful… so that you can get an idea: Woody Allen has spent his entire career revering New York, this movie has permitted itself the luxury of making New York look like the movie).

Desayuno con Diamantes (1961). Audrey Hepburn
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

The film isn´t the greatest movie ever made, it is not a wild comedy and would not stand out from many others if it were not because… this is a movie that creates a style (The Apartment would be another one, of this same period) which plays the keys to be played in bittersweet comedy.

This is a serious comedy, of characters, not a critique, a movie as complex as it is simple in its narrative (it is Blake Edwards). It has good lines that are a heritage of movies of the Forties (in our times, we would suppose they “talk too much”): total irony, brush strokes in each phrase… the apparent linearity of the dialogues bend and are lost in shapes and nuances… this is what made those comedies different from the ones of today which are more blatant and rough.

We don´t dare to speak about the wardrobe: Sex in New York receives a lot from this movie, updating it and giving it its touch.

But the original and marvelous one is Tiffany´s

A thousand facets to be appreciated in this movie I recommend you to watch again.

Depths in frivolity.

By the way, why is it that in all of these movies that are so unforgettable have a soundtrack or a song that is so…? (Irony, evidently).

Do you have a friend that you comment this movie you like and who always refers to some movie classic that is better? Applied to romantic comedies: maybe this one is the very best.

Our Opinion

The depths portrayed in the evident: Blake Edwards made the movie of his life, Audrey Hepburn in the legendary role… Do I need to tell you more to give it a ten? Because Breakfast at Tiffany´s… deserves it.

And, yes, they smoke in it.

Movie Facts

  • Breakfast at Tiffany’s was released in 1961 and was based on Truman Capote’s classic novella.
  • It won two Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Audrey Hepburn.
  • It was directed by Blake Edwards and co-starred George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam and Mickey Rooney.
  • The iconic opening scene of Holly Golightly window shopping at Tiffany’s set the tone for the movie.
  • The film was not an immediate commercial success, but became an enduring classic over time.
  • It marked a turning point in Hepburn’s career and was her first hit as a movie star.
  • The soundtrack features “Moon River” by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, which won the Oscar for Best Song at the awards ceremony in 1962.
  • The character of Holly Golightly is widely considered to be one of the most iconic female characters in film history.

Video: Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Moon River (1961) HD

Director

Blake Edwards

Blake Edwards was an American film director, screenwriter and producer. Edwards’ career began in the 1940s as an actor but he soon turned to writing radio scripts at Columbia Pictures. He used his writing skills to begin producing and directing, with some of his best films including: Experiment in Terror, The Great Race, and the hugely successful Pink Panther film series with the British comedian Peter Sellers. Often thought of as primarily a director of comedies, he was also renowned for his dramatic work, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Days of Wine and Roses. His greatest successes, however, were his comedies, and most of his films were either musicals, melodramas, slapstick comedies, and thrillers. In 2004, he received an Honorary Academy Award in recognition of his writing, directing and producing an extraordinary body of work for the screen


Cast

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Audrey Hepburn / Holly Golightly
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George Peppard / Paul ‘Fred’ Varjak
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Patricia Neal / Mrs. Emily Eustace ‘2E’ Failenson

Buddy Ebsen / Doc Golightly

Martin Balsam
José Luis de Vilallonga
John McGiver
Alan Reed
Dorothy Whitney
Beverly Powers

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), a Blake Edwards film with Audrey Hepburn

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Movie title: Breakfast at Tiffany's

Movie description: Holly Golightly is an eccentric New York City playgirl determined to marry a Brazilian millionaire. But when young writer Paul Varjak moves into her apartment building, her past threatens to get in their way.

Date published: January 22, 2022

Country: United States

Duration: 115 mins

Director(s): Blake Edwards

Writer(s): George Axelrod

Cinematography: Franz Planer

Music: Henry Mancini

Actor(s): Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, Mickey Rooney, José Luis de Vilallonga, John McGiver

Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance

Summary

The depths portrayed in the evident: Blake Edwards made the movie of his life, Audrey Hepburn in the legendary role… Do I need to tell you more to give it a ten? Because Breakfast at Tiffany´s… deserves it.

Overall

10/10
10/10
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Writer, pipe smoker and founder of MCM

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