Billy Wilder | Reviews from My Couch

Written by: John Hansen
23/04/2025

‘Kiss Me, Stupid’ (1964) is a stupid thing to watch if you dislike farces

Wilder Wednesday (Movie review): Hitting that dead spot between zany and predictable, “Kiss Me, Stupid” is another unfunny sex comedy from the Hays Code era.

Written by: John Hansen
16/04/2025

‘Love in the Afternoon’s’ (1957) May-December romance feels 8 months long

Wilder Wednesday (Movie review): The age gap is a talking point, but the real issue is this rom-com isn’t romantic or funny enough.

Written by: John Hansen
26/03/2025

‘Fortune Cookie’ (1966) crumbles under its length, predictability

Wilder Wednesday (Movie review): This supposed satire of dishonest lawyering misfires by running the ball right up the middle.

Written by: John Hansen
19/03/2025

‘Double Indemnity’ (1944) a deliberate classic of film noir

Wilder Wednesday (Movie review): Stiffer than Wilder’s later masterpieces, his adaptation of Cain’s novel helps stamp a genre into public consciousness.

Written by: John Hansen
05/03/2025

Wilder adds to sleuth’s lore in ‘Private Life of Sherlock Holmes’ (1970)

Wilder Wednesday (Movie review): The premise: This unusually personal mystery was kept from the public till 50 years after the sleuth’s passing.

Written by: John Hansen
26/02/2025

‘Avanti!’ (1972) not among Wilder’s elite, but it certainly avoids cliches

Wilder Wednesday (Movie review): By not challenging its own morality (or immorality), the film oddly encourages us to think outside the box.

Written by: John Hansen
19/02/2025

‘Seven Year Itch’ (1955) had me itching for more laughs

Wilder Wednesday (Movie review): That classic shot of Marilyn Monroe over the storm grate comes from this film, but it’s not too memorable otherwise.