 "The best thing I know is to do exactly what you wish for a while." | 2008-08-25 |
| - Reviewed By perkycalibabe |
Possibly my favorite romance of all time, ROMAN HOLIDAY is a heart-wrenching, charming and timeless tale of a young Princess Ann(Audrey Hepburn) who runs away and ends up in the arms of wise newspaperman Joe Bradley(Gregory Peck).
Of course through a handful of events by random happenstance Joe and Ann fall in love, and their chemistry is really beautiful.
"Do you have a silk nightgown with rosebuds?" "I haven't worn a nightgown in years!"
Gregory Peck is a dream, and Audrey Hepburn is simply stunning in her oscar-winning performance. In addition, Eddie Albert adds the perfect amount of 'comedy relief'.
It's one of those movies that you never feel the desire to fast-forward through and the end will make your heart shatter no matter how many times you have seen it unfold before.
Couldn't you just die as he exits and 'the end' comes up on that screen? Just Amazing. |
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| "Absurd notions" | 2008-08-24 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2KUMYWXAQNARZ |
It is hard to read some of these reviews and not scratch one's head. To think, for example, that Cary Grant would have been better in this film is crazy. Cary Grant is a knowitall sophisticate. He would have wrecked the film. The whole point of the film is that everyone is innocent and learning how to be truly noble as adults. Only Gregory Peck could have carried off the male role without making him appear naive or an idiot. All the sexuality in it is very, very carefully dealt with -- one false move, and it would have crashed and burned. The film is about restraint and duty.
It was Audrey Hepburn's best film. The final scenes -- so understated, but speaking volumes -- are brilliantly acted. Of course, nobody would behave like these two now. And of course we are so much better off. Sure we are. |
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 "Great Chick Flick - A Princess blending in with everyday folks" | 2008-08-17 |
| - Reviewed By tcalp777 |
Roman Holiday -
Audrey Hepburn, a young stressed princess, experiences life without schedules and guards when she sneaks outside her country's embassy in Rome after being given sleeping medication. Gregory Peck, a poor newspaper reporter trying to earn enough money to get back to NY, thinks she is drunk and doesn't want her to be picked up by the police.
Thereafter follow several comedic scenes. He follows her around to get a real inside scoop on the life of a princess... His friend (Eddie Albert)brings a hidden camera. They tour several famous places in Rome, ending up back where she started in the shadow of the embassy on a boat and suddenly surrounded by several secret service agents from her own country. They end up falling in love and hence the interesting ending when she discovers who he really is.
The extra material, some told by Eddie Albert's son, tells you interesting side lights as to what part each of the actors put into making the movie unique. I had already seen the movie when I purchased this... It is a classic Audrey Hepburn film. |
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| ""I could do some of the things I've always wanted to."" | 2008-07-20 |
| - Reviewed By maliejandra |
Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) is tired of the royal life. She is required to behave in such a silly way and she has no time to enjoy herself. She visits city after city without any real change of scenery and she's tired of it. No one in her employ will help her achieve any excitement, so she takes matters into her own hands and escapes. Reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) finds her, and recognizes her for who she really is. What a story! He takes her home and plans his story, but can't let her know that he knows. The two spend a perfect day together on the town experiencing life as neither have done before.
This movie is brilliantly executed. The cast is perfect and William Wyler's stylish direction puts Roman Holiday a cut above ordinary romantic comedies. The story is innocent enough for children to relish, but it rings true for adults too. Every new endeavor is a little adventure, so this film is exciting again and again even with repeated viewing. |
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| "Wonderful Classic Movie" | 2008-06-23 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2FVZ62896VOGP |
| I love this movie. I watched it right before my trip to Rome. The sights have not changed a bit and it's such a cute story line. Old black and white movies are so classic and so is Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. It portrays Rome so well. |
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 "A Fun and Silly Movie" | 2008-05-29 |
| - Reviewed By csdreich |
| This movie is not the best work for either Hepburn or Peck, but it is fun to see and shows some great scenes of Rome from that time. If you are a fan of either star it is worth owning. |
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| "Pure Romance in Radiant Rome" | 2008-05-18 |
| - Reviewed By karenjoan914 |
Roman Holiday is an incomparable romantic comedy; truly one of the most enjoyable films of all time. It is also Audrey Hepburn's debut starring role, for which she won a Best Actress Oscar. At just 24, Audrey was young, stunning, talented, charming, radiant, majestic, cute, elfin, and clearly at the top of her game. Rumor has it that the credits originally were to have Gregory Peck's name first, then the title of the film, then the statement "and introducing Audrey Hepburn." After the first week of filming, Gregory Peck called the studio and the director, and told them something along the lines of "Audrey Hepburn IS this movie; her name needs to appear above the title with mine." How noble and gallant. Mr. Peck, himself, is top-notch in this role; I fall in love with him a little more each time I watch it.
This movie was filmed on location in Rome, and the scenery is breathtaking, making this movie all the more romantic. My husband and I have fun pointing out all of the places we have been. The restoration is very impressive; the print looks fresh and clear; the details are vivid. It is also interesting to notice the play of light and dark, of shadow and bright. These techniques are used at their best in this film, and are lost (and perhaps unnecessary) in color films.
We recently showed this film to our 11 year old daughter. It was a lazy, rainy Sunday morning, and she "didn't have anything better to do." She started watch with some token protest, and then watched quite intently. At the end, she said, "Hey, that was pretty good...and I didn't even really notice that it was in black and white!" There is hope, yet, for younger generations!
This film is romantic, playful, sweet, fun, delicious, beautiful, and charming. I give it my highest recommendation for anyone.
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| "Great movie, but why full screen?" | 2008-05-06 |
| - Reviewed By User: ARPWZTOEANCRS |
I love this movie, and that's why I was disappointed when I went to watch it and found that it was in full screen format.
I suppose it's my fault for not looking carefully enough at the info here, but I assumed that the "Special Collector's Edition" would be in widescreen - special editions are almost always in widescreen (at least, I've never found or bought one that wasn't).
And what would possess them to chop off part of the screen for a film that has such excellent cinematography of Rome? The movie begs to be in theatrical form.
OK, I'm done whining. Just know that if you buy this version, it's full screen. |
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| "When Actors Could Really Act" | 2008-04-27 |
| - Reviewed By hcweekend |
My wife and I saw this wonderful movie on DVD last night for the very first time, eventhough we are both old enough to have seen it in a movie theater in the 50s. The storyline has been explained many times here, so I'll not go into it again. Audrey Hepburn was simply beautiful and played the role perfectly of a princess wanting to live a "normal" life and do all of the things she wanted to do, dreamed of doing, for just one entire day. Peck was typically restrained as the man who wanted that one BIG SCOOP to further his career as a newspaperman and land himself his dream of working in New York City. Her dreams comes true and is surprised to find love among them, if only for twenty-four hours, he sacrifices his dream of being a star reporter for love of her.
This was the perfect movie for two romantics who are generally unimpressed with today's lifeless actors, four-letter-word infused dialog, and plotless movies. Highly recommended. |
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| "Audrey at her BEST" | 2008-04-03 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3B1LGJ5MISBJ5 |
| For anyone that isn't familiar with Audrey Hepburn's movies, this is the best one to start with... in my opinion this is her best work. Roman Holiday is the movie that started it all for Hepburn, and you'll see why. This is one of those movies that you can just escape in... it brings you into a fun, safe, playful world. Hepburn and Peck are a perfect romantic match in this classic movie. I whole heartedly recommend this film to anyone! |
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