Movie Reviews for Writers: Paris When It Sizzles (part 2)

Yes, I know this is the first movie I’ve done a second review for. But, trust me, there’s just so much to unpack in this classic rom-com. Really. 

The bulk of the movie and the biggest lesson for writers is the one covered in the previous review — Getting the story out of your head and onto the page is the real work of the writer, and it’s also the hard work of the writer. You can’t sell what you haven’t created yet. An idea is just an idea. A story exists only in a readable format. 

However, that key motif aside, Paris When It Sizzles has a few other treats in store for us when we examine it. 

A writer’s life is a lonely one. In the midst of trying to seduce Audrey Hepburn, William Holden does manage to get one thing honest. Of course, he’s just playing it up to tease Hepburn’s sensitivities, but it’s indicative of Holden’s acting that the character is able to convey a subtlety that gives away the truth of his statement. You can’t help but see a sort of sadness in his expression as he says the words, and that’s why it really plays with Hepburn’s feelings. And it’s true. No matter how much we may surround ourselves with friends and family, or even other writers when it gets down to it, the thing that takes up the bulk of our lives pulls us away from others and builds the walls to keep us focused on the work. 

The second treat is this one: My Fair Lady is Frankenstein. Or let’s put it a different way. There are no original ideas so get over yourself.

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