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Love in the Afternoon

Love in the Afternoon

Comedy · Romance · 1957

A middle-aged playboy becomes fascinated by the daughter of a private detective who has been hired to entrap him with a client's wife.

Movie details

Love in the Afternoon

“Love is a game any number can play... especially in the afternoon...”

1957 Comedy · Romance 2h 10m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.0 / 10

Community rating

A middle-aged playboy becomes fascinated by the daughter of a private detective who has been hired to entrap him with a client's wife.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Love in the Afternoon?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Billy Wilder

Written by

Billy Wilder · I. A. L. Diamond

Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper

Frank Flannagan

Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn

Ariane Chavasse / Thin Girl

Maurice Chevalier

Maurice Chevalier

Claude Chavasse

John McGiver

John McGiver

Monsieur X

Van Doude

Van Doude

Michel

Lise Bourdin

Lise Bourdin

Madame X

Olga Valéry

Olga Valéry

Hotel Guest with Dog

Court is in session

Put Love in the Afternoon on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.