Roman Holiday: Dating was never so hard.

God damn Audrey Hepburn was cute! No one can get enough of this strong-while-adorible woman. I'm learning about her legend and have relatively recently had a reason not to confuse her and Catherine. I'm an Audrey convert, and if I ever get the opportunity to meet the lovely and talented Natalie Portman, I can assure you I'll look her in the eye and say "You're no Roman Holiday, but you'll do."

This old flicker-show was like a snappy play. It slid smoothly through a series of cues, and acting back then seemed like a more technical skill... somehow... than it is today. Like the style today (and indeed, in most film after the screwball-comedy of the 40's) is free-form, and those daffy art-deco thespians were performing the narative equivalent of a villanelle. In any case, the hero was a clear hero, and the conflict was a broad conflict, and the jokes were a mild slapstick. But the two people caught in the silly-then-tragic plot were real people to me. So as fake a production as classic film may look, the story somehow transcends that, and we're left with a thread of real emotions.

I think we would all do well to watch this film again.