Breakfast at Tiffany's

Blake Edwards received one of those life time achievement awards at the Oscars last night, so I thought I would review one of this films as a tribute.

Premise: A socialite (Audrey Hepburn) makes friends with a writer (George Peppard) who lives upstairs. He helps her out when she gets mixed up in the mob, and she helps him stop being a "kept man".

Breakfast at Tiffany's is the definitive romantic comedy. I don't know if you'll find it in the romantic comedy section, but that is where I feel it belongs. George Axelrod's take on Truman Capote's novel is sharp, smart, and sexy. He breathes life into what could have been two-dimensional characters in the wild world of the swinging sixties.

As for Edwards' direction, it is flawless and seamless. I know that seems extraordinarily high praise, but the director is who ties everything together to give it meaning, and he proves his prowess with this film. Hepburn is perfectly charming under his direction, and Peppard actually manages to not seem dull in her luminous presence.

Also, Buddy Ebsen is great in his bit part. As for Mickey Rooney, well, we'll just have to excuse the overt racism there because it was 1963.

Come to think of it, Axelrod and Ebsen also passed away last year. The lights in the Hollywood sign are beginning to dim. Good night, sweet princes of the silver screen's golden era.