Breakfast at Tiffany's - Movie Review

Breakfast at Tiffany's
Review by

The perfect blend of romance, comedy and tragedy. ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ is the must-see classic that captures the life of the young and ambitious, and shoes the clear statement of what it is like to make it in a big city. Perfectly put together by Blake Edwards, and creatively written as a novel by Truman Capote, Audrey Hepburn (Holly Golightly) and George Peppard (Paul Varjak) make this film just as special as its name.

I decided to watch this iconic move, as Manhattan is the city I have fallen in love with since I was a little girl and have dreamed of living there. For many generation, my family have been talking about ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ and it motivated me to buy the DVD and watch it with my sister, being a fan of Audrey Hepburn’s work; I found myself enjoying every moment of it. I felt happiness, sadness, excitement and love during the whole duration of this movie (1:54)

Set and released in 1961, we are immediately introduced by elegant and gorgeous Holly Golightly as she eats her breakfast at Tiffany and Co (hint in the name) wearing a little black number by Givenchy and sunglasses whilst eating a pastry and drinking coffee, this is the iconic movie-moment, which inspires many people including myself.

Holly Golightly has no intention for love, all she wants to do is have parties, socialize and get money off rich men in whatever way she can. When Paul Varjack, an aspiring writer moves into her building, holly forgets about the life she lives as a socialite and finds herself interested in Paul’s life. Despite the fact that in the novel, Capote has no interest in telling the typical boy-meets-girl love story, the film portrays Holly and Paul’s relationship in exactly this way however it grows in an unusual way. We can sense that chemistry between the two will happen from the minute they meet.

Audrey Hepburn pulled this character off astonishingly as she is just as elegant as Holly is portrayed. As for George Peppard, he truly is a charming individual. The way they act out their love for each other makes their spark real. Their acting was just spectacular which made their roles even more believable, in my opinion they probably are the most believable actors I have ever seen.

As a studier of media, I love analyzing the cinematography in films, and I have to admit, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ has some of the best camera shots I have ever witnessed, I find this because in the first scene we see the most effective wide shots of Old Manhattan and the vintage yellow taxis. The music is extremely moving, which makes it just as effective as the cinematography, especially when Hepburn sings ‘Moon River’ when she is on the fire escape, in my opinion, this makes the whole scene much more personal if the actor is singing rather than an artist’s song being played on a surround system. Hepburn’s dresses give the clothing the Tiffany look, the diamond look, the expensive look.

I truly did experience my heartbreak in the last scene but witnessed it repair in the last minute. ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ is packed with unforgettable moments and wonderful dialogue. Whether Paul and Holly end up together is less important than whether they are able to forgive each other, and themselves, for their past and present problems. Maybe these two can find a future together; Holly deserves a happy ending, doesn’t she?

So who is Holly anyway? Where has she come from? And what secrets does she hold? Only you can answer these questions, and how you ask? By watching it. I can assure you, you will one hundred percent, experience the feelings I have felt, you might even feel more or less, but I can’t tell you what you feel, only you know. So what’s next? Brunch at Barneys?