The Review: Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard 8/10

This movie is nuts. I had seen this many years ago (likely close to 20) and forgot so much about it. This is one of those movies that start at the end and go back. The end is this dude named Joe drowned in a swimming pool. We go back months earlier and Joe wants to be a scriptwriter and having no luck at it. Get in line, buddy. This lady that reads scripts named Betty dogs it not knowing he can hear her. He leaves and while driving around gets chased by some repo men. They really want their shit from him and he ends up hiding by pulling into a driveway of what appears to be a rundown mansion. He heads inside because I guess that's what people did back in the day and this old actress named Norma Desmond invites him in and asks him to read her script. He thinks her story is ass but she hires him to work on it for her.

Norma is a former silent film actress and just sits at home with her servant Max doing everything for her. Joe finds out that all the fan mail that Norma gets is done by Max. That is weird. Over time Norma starts falling for Joe and he is kind of like “Uh...okay.” She buys him gifts and gives him everything he wants. Like, she is not poor by any means. Just weird as hell. Joe goes to a New Years gathering and sees his friend and his fiance Betty, the one that shit on his story. She says it could be better. Joe and Betty are all flirty and I'm like “Pump the brakes, turbo!” Joe calls the mansion and Max answers and says that Norma has slit her wrists. Sure enough Joe races home and her crazy ass has slit her wrists and says she will do it again if Joe leaves. She guilts him into staying.

Paramount starts calling but Norma refuses to speak to anyone but Cecil B. DeMille. She gets dressed and Max drives her to the studio. She thinks she has a role lined up but Max finds out that they only want her old ass car. Norma still thinks she is coming back and starts all these crazy routines to whip herself into shape. She starts thinking Joe is cheating on her because he sneaks out and writes a script with Betty. Oh, Betty and her dude are supposed to be engaged and he is off filming somewhere. One night when Joe comes home Max is waiting for him and spills all the tea. He says that he used to be a director and Norma's first husband. This whole mansion crazy! He stopped working to serve her. Norma finds Joe's script with Betty's name on it and starts prank calling Betty. Joe catches her wacky ass and says “Betty. Come over.” She does and he pretty much does the Harry & The Henderson's routine to drive her away. If you get that reference you old like me. Betty leaves and Joe starts packing up his shit.

Norma not having it. She says that she will kill herself if he leaves. Joe is like “Meh.” She grabs her gun and says she will do it. Joe is pretty much daring her at this point. He leaves and gets shot by Norma and falls into the pool. The police and news folk show up and Norma crazy ass thinks that she is filming a movie and starts walking towards the camera all creepy style. The end. I liked this. A simple story with not a ton of characters and shot beautifully. There were times where I thought Joe was cool with being a kept man but wanted to still be able to support himself through his writing. Still...he had plenty of chances to bounce and should've taken them.

William Holden as Joe Gillis

Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond

Erich von Stroheim as Max von Mayerling

Nancy Olson as Betty Schaefer

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