Days of Wine and Roses (1962) User Reviews (141)

Two Drunks Afloat in a Sea of Booze Make One Heartbreaking, Powerful film.

[Goodbye_Ruby_Tuesday · 9/10 · 3 August 2006]

When one describes a romance film, it is normal to use the classic line, 'Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loves Girl, Boy Loses Girl..." It would be easy to use that formula for any love story. But this is no ordinary love story. It's tragic, it's surprising, and above all, it feels so real. It's not a story this cynical teenage film buff will forget anytime soon, if ever.

Joe Clay (the Great Jack Lemmon) is a public relations man who doesn't really like his job; we see his boredom and frustration in the very first frame of the film, when he's trying at the last minute to round up some call girls for a party. We also see how he deals with this by shouting to the bartender, "Hit me again!" multiple times. He soon meets Kirsten Arneson (the incredible and incredibly underrated Lee Remick) and they detest each other, but after a dinner and a walk around Fisherman's Warf where they bare their souls, they soon fall in love, get married and have a beautiful baby girl. Everything seems perfect. But when Joe's job puts added pressure on him, he feels the only way to relieve himself is to get drunk. In one sad and memorable scene, he comes home late and, because she cannot drink due to breast feeding, degrades Kirsten for not being fun anymore. The pain of the things Joe says stings both of them, and us as well, and before long Kirsten is taking up the bottle herself. Years later Joe really looks at himself and has a moment of clarity; They *have* to sober up, for both of them and we the viewers know it can only get worse unless someone does something. But when they both fall off the wagon multiple times, and it becomes clear that love will not conquer all, Joe is faced with the nightmarish decision to choose between sobriety and his love for Kirsten.

While I was watching this film, I kept on comparing it to other addiction films like Trainspotting, Requiem for a Dream and The Lost Weekend. While they are all great in their own right, they can't really compare because the core of Days of Wine and Roses is the love story that quickly turns into a love triangle between Joe, Kirsten and booze. It's the love story and the full realization of the characters that makes Days so heartbreaking. Another thing is that we know that Joe and Kirsten are both good people; After Joe accidentally mistakes Kirsten for a call girl, he is the one who brings a peace offering and tries to make ammends, and it is evident to the viewer that during their sobriety, they have a powerful love for their young daughter, which makes their drunken turns all the more powerful. Blake Edward's direction is spot-on; This was his first big drama after being recognized for his comedic work, but he works wonders and gets brilliant--albeit unsurprisingly brilliant--performances out of Lee and Jack. Edwards also has the magical touch of reeling the viewer in, thinking this will be a breezy romantic comedy, then slowly revealing the destruction of two lost souls through the bottle. The luscious black and white cinematography was a great choice to make in a time when color was dazzling the audiences, for it works as a symbol for the darkness and bleak world of alcoholism. Henry Mancini's music is minimalistic and affecting; in the old days of cinema, it was easy to overuse the strings for a dramatic scene, but the score was perfect and not once overdone. The chemistry between Jack and Lee was genius; I couldn't believe they weren't a married couple in real life. Great performances can get you far, but a love story loses half its power unless its two stars makes the love believable, and these two really did. And the audience can clearly see that the two are in love, drunk or sober, good times or bad. This makes the last scene all the more heartbreaking.

And I can't praise the two lead actors enough. Jack Lemmon, like Edwards, was known more for his comedic work. Some have complained that he was too over-the-top in his performance, most notably the infamous greenhouse scene, but an actor deserves to be known and praised for his overall work, and in the long run, Jack deserved an Oscar for this role. Every move he makes he makes believable and gets deep into the head of an alcoholic. He makes Joe a sympathetic character, and he really makes you care for him. Jack once said when he was doing Glengarry Glen Ross that "You don't have to like a character, but it's an actor's job to make you care about him." I don't think there's a person on this site who didn't care about Joe Clay. This is Jack's role of a lifetime. And I'm ashamed to say I had never heard of Lee Remick before this film, but now she's one of my favorite actresses. She was a very sharp actress and the camera loved her. Whether she was a smiling young secretary or a lonely drunk, you bought the transformation and every moment in between. She had a killing smile but she could break your heart with just a look of her eyes. When the alcohol reveals a vulnerability and a need to be loved she only thinks she can hide, Lee is there, making the performance believable and utterly heartbreaking. When the last scene comes around and Joe and Kirsten are faced with a life-changing decision, the two actors are so good and so into their roles you can easily forget that they're both acting. The love is still there, but it's changed so much. The last shot, like the whole film, will leave you breathless. One of the greatest films I've ever seen.

Sobering Drama

[Jon Kolenchak · 7/10 · 5 March 2001]

Have you ever been at a party or gathering where you are the only sober person? It's an experience that is hard to describe. Everyone that is moderately to heavily drunk thinks that they are so clever, funny, entertaining, and so on. It has a certain surreal aspect.

There are several scenes in this film which bring back that feeling to me. When Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick are at their most slap-happy rip-roaring state of drunkenness and having a great time, it gave me this odd sensation -- these people are not funny, not clever, and not entertaining. This is at least one of the points made in this very well made film.

The story is well told, and answers the question that many people have about alcoholism, and perhaps addiction in general (How do things ever get so terribly out of control?). It happens slowly, and it happens for a multitude of reasons. The reasons that this film deals mostly with include loneliness, wanting to please others, wanting to do one's job without compromising one's integrity, childhood abandonment, low self-esteem, and just the fact that in the social world "everyone" drinks.

Lemmon and Remick do a fabulous job as your ordinary young couple who get started slowly but surely going down the wrong track. Charles Bickford as Remick's father has little screen time, but makes every moment of it count. Jack Klugman is also very good as Lemmon's Alcoholics Anonymous friend.

Some things are wonderfully telegraphed. Lee Remick has this "thing" about chocolate (addiction potential). There's just a moment when you see a smoldering cigarette in an ashtray, and you get the feeling that something bad is going to happen (it does). When Jack Lemmon, in a drunken state comes home one evening, he impetuously picks some flowers for Lee Remick. The elevator door closes on them, cutting off the tops of the flowers. (When he arrives home, the couple have their first really big fight.) Also, I think it is interesting that every time that Lee Remick is watching the television, she is watching cartoons -- an interesting statement.

The cinematography is realistic, sometimes downright gritty. Filming it in black and white helped to enhance this mood, especially in the greenhouse and the psychiatric ward scenes.

Perhaps the most important point of the story is that addiction, be it alcohol or other things can happen to anyone. Sometimes you just don't realize it until it's too late.

The Days of Wine and Roses is a fine "message" movie that gets its point across without getting preachy or self-righteous, with believable performances by all.

Mesmerizing

[redservo · 9/10 · 10 August 2003]

Like standing on the edge of a black hole, this movie tantalizes the audience in the beginning, then plunges you into the dark, vast horror of alcoholism.

Jack Lemmon has always been a personal favorite of mine, especially for screwball comedy. But, just like Robin Williams, Lemmon is capable of turning heads w/ his dramatic roles. "The Days of Wine and Roses" is a showcase of that dramatic talent. And along with Lee Remick, this film's performances exceed all expectations. The direction and cinematography utilizes the black and white medium to it's fullest extent, while the script is earthy, human and most of all, believable.

This is a tour de force in the craft of modern filmmaking. And an absolutely essential requirement for aficionados of the dramatic genre. How Remick and Lemmon managed to be past up for the best actor/actress Oscar for their phenomenal performances never ceases to amaze me. Twenty years later, their performances are just as fresh, relevant and just as powerful.

There was no sugarcoated ended. This film sought to depict alcoholism as the demon it truly is, and that sometimes, people just don't get well, despite all the love and support that's offered to them.

If you've never seen it, rent it. Just be sure to rent it in letterbox, to maintain the movies original ratio. A film this beautiful needs to be seen in it's best form. Take someone you love along with you for the ride.

A Poignant Love Story from a Simpler Time

[maryebronson · 12 December 2001]

I always saw this movie more as a love story than one of a couple trapped in alcoholism. Joe and Kirsten had that chemistry that drew them to each other through good times and bad, and I have never seen another film that depicted enduring love like this one. I can still recall the characters' honest, plaintive statements to each other and how they reminded me of how it feels when you're with someone who truly fulfills you. Joe to Kirsten on their first date: "Short story? Boy meets girl...beautiful girl, nice, the only kind of girl a guy should bother about...."

Kirsten to Joe, desperately trying to hold on to what they have after her infidelities: "I never gave anything out of myself to them....love is the only thing that stops you from being lonely, and I didn't have that..."

Joe to the AA counselor, who warns him about what alcohol can do to a marital relationship: "You don't understand, there's no trouble between us....we're in love..."

Joe, in the depths of alcoholism, tremors, shaking..."I have to find my wife....I love her...I love her..."

This movie is sad and somewhat draining to watch, but also does provide useful insight into the insidious disease of alcohol addiction, along with being a very moving, romantic drama of two people haunted by troubled childhoods, struggling to keep the sincere commitment they have to each other alive.

A fantastic movie about alcoholism that rings true

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 5 June 2005]

This movie was first a television play performed live and then went on to Hollywood for a slightly glossier production. This is NOT a bad pedigree, as shortly before this the TV movie "Marty" was also brought to Hollywood and became one of the best movies of the 1950s. Both the TV and Hollywood versions are excellent--see either or both if you get the chance.

To me this movie is the antithesis of "The Lost Weekend". "The Lost Weekend" was not a very realistic portrayal of alcoholism in many ways--particularly the ending where the lead suddenly just kicks his addiction and everything is hunky-dory. Get real! ""Days of Wine and Roses instead does not pull punches. It refuses to give in to sentimentality and take the typical Hollywood approach to films. There is no happy ending, there were surprises and heartbreak--much like dealing with alcoholism in real life.

Because it would spoil it to give too much information, I will only briefly discuss the plot. Jack Lemmon is a business man who slowly goes from the "two martini lunch" to alcoholism. His acting was very convincing and gut-wrenching. Equally compelling is his wife, Lee Remick, who puts on the performance of her life as the long-suffering wife who slowly goes from co-dependent to alcoholism herself. I've worked in a chemical dependency program and I've got to tell you, all the excuses and bargains and excesses in the movie were exactly what my clients had said and done as well. It is obvious the writers were doing their homework, as the movie delivers on every level.

UPDATE: Since this review, I was able to see the original teleplay--which, along with a few other teleplays of the era, are available through the Criterion Collection. See this in its original form. While not nearly as glossy, it still packs a huge dramatic punch!

This film made me want to attend a AA meeting....and I never drink

[helpless_dancer · 8/10 · 24 January 2002]

Started off a little slow but turned into one of the hottest dramas I've ever seen. Remick and Lemmon were sensational as the two drunks who couldn't control their actions after a few drinks. I had to laugh at some of their antics, but the greenhouse scene and especially the pitiful, horrible DT's in the rubber room were sobering indeed. Great picture showing the ravages and uselessness of booze.

Degradation of Booze

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 9 February 2007]

In San Francisco, the public relations Joe Clay (Jack Lemmon) drinks everyday to "socialize" with his clients. After an incidental meeting with the secretary Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick), they date and sooner they get married. When they have a baby girl, Joe becomes alcoholic, Kirsten begins to drink to follow her husband, and both become alcoholics. Joe loses his job and they destroy their lives. After many trials, Joe is treated, desintoxicated and supported by the AA, while Kirsten remains a chronic drunkard.

"Days of Wine and Roses" is a realistic sad drama that exposes the life of a drunken couple from their top to the bottom of the well. Together with "The Lost Weekend", I believe these are the two best movies Hollywood properly and seriously produced about this important subject. The sad story has no final redemption or commercial conclusion, and is a must see. The gorgeous Lee Remick and the excellent Jack Lemmon have magnificent performances and deserved their nomination to the Oscar. The wonderful cinematography and the magnificent unforgettable song of Henri Mancini complete this high-class classic film. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Vício Maldito" ("Damned Vicious")

It's as true to life as a vodka martini.

[hitchcockthelegend · 9/10 · 4 March 2008]

The above quote is from director Blake Edwards, it's taken from the highly recommended commentary track he provides on the DVD for this excellent and compelling piece of work.

Joe is a social drinker but he's social all the time, during one of his arranged parties for a client he meets and falls in love with teetotal Kirsten. They get married and changes start to dominate their marital bliss, he is stressed from work and drinks daily to forget the rigours of the job, she being the loving wife chooses to drink with him to help ease his pain, but soon the joyous days of wine & roses will turn to something dark and terribly turbulent, and this will threaten their own respective sanity.

The film begins with Henry Mancini's academy award winning title theme tune, it's a truly beautiful piece of music that perfectly sets the tone of the film for its first third, it lulls you into this couples love, the bond they share is a truly wonderful thing, it really is all sweetness and light, but then the bottle becomes part of this couples life, they become a threesome from which only dark horrors will form. Containing emotionally shattering scenes that once viewed can not be forgotten (witness Joe's soul destroying search for liquor in a greenhouse), Days Of Wine & Roses still manages not to force feed the viewer a moralistic stance, it lays down the facts of alcoholism and the perils of co-dependency with honest appraisal, we as the viewers are left in no doubt that it is us, and us only, that can make of it as we see fit, the ending especially is a particular poser of which we ourselves seek clarity.

Wonderfully written by the talented hands of J.P. Miller, Days Of Wine And Roses boasts marvellous direction from Blake Edwards and two academy award nominated performances from Jack Lemmon & Lee Remick, it's a testament to all involved that come the finale the viewer feels drained, yet strangely...not at all thirsty for the amber nectar.

Quality drama. 9/10

Or leave a kiss but in the cup.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 27 August 2010]

Henry Mancini wrote the musical score for this drama about alcoholism. In the days when he was known primarily for his user-friendly treatment of jazz themes, Henry was known as "Hank." Here, in addition to the incidental melancholy of the chords that accompany some of the events, he's built in a sad tune suggestive of love and loss. The song constantly hovers in the background and was turned into a pop song with lyrics suggesting that happiness is ephemeral. You can hum it, whistle it, sing it, and cry to it. (Sob.) Not that Mancini was stuck on melancholia. He did the peppy and funny "Walk of the Elephants" music for "Hatari" too.

It's just about the exact opposite of the scores Bernard Hermann used to write. Hermann, another one of those child prodigies that Hollywood tended to hire, wrote for some very well-known films, including "Citizen Kane," "Vertigo", and a couple of Ray Harryhausen's monster movies. But try to whistle a tune that Hermann wrote. It can't be done. He didn't write songs. He wrote themes that were appropriate to the situation. "Leitmotifs", if you want to get elegant, that vary from one character or mood to another.

Now that I've gotten my assessment of the score out of the way, I'll get back to the movie. What was the movie anyway? Oh, yes. Okay. Thank you.

Jack Lemon is a public relations man in San Francisco, so we know right off the bat that he's troubled. All public relations men are troubled, except those that aren't. He meets the virginal Lee Remick and they are married. Remick takes him down the Peninsula to meet her father, the stern but not unkind Charles Bickford who runs a floral shop and landscaping service. The distressed Lemon begins to drink and is demoted. Remick joins him in boozing.

It goes from bad to worse, and, skipping the details of the plot, Lemon winds up in Alcoholics Anonymous while Remick refuses to believe that she needs help in conquering her demons. The marriage breaks up. Lemon remains sober and one night Remick shows up at his apartment begging for them to start over again. But Lemon knows it's impossible and the last shot is of Lemon staring from his apartment window, down at the rain-wet nighttime street, into which Remick has disappeared. The slick street slopes downhill.

It's a tragic picture about a non-glamorous social problem. Compared to the social and economic cost of alcoholism, being a heroin addict is minor stuff. And that's just the cost to society, not to mention the suffering of the afflicted individuals. People make jokes about pink elephants but delirium tremens is a horrifying experience with a substantial mortality rate. Mark Twain captured some of the symptoms well in "Huckleberry Finn."

It's interesting to compare "Days of Wine and Roses" with "The Lost Weekend," Billy Wilder's 1945 movie starring Ray Milland. "Lost Weekend" begins in medias res. Milland is already a career juice head and the movie takes us through one event-filled weekend into which all the usual stuff associated with alcoholism is packed -- the slight euphoria following the first couple of drinks, the shakes the next day, and a genuinely startling visual hallucination involving a mouse and a bat.

"Days of Wine and Roses" gives us a developmental point of view. Lemon and Remick are seen as relatively normal people who slide insensibly into a state in which alcohol is their primary concern. There are a couple of extensive time lapses but they're not disorienting. Thank God no simple-minded explanation of the condition is offered. Nobody abused Lemon or Remick when they were kids. True, Lemon hates his job, but who doesn't? Nobody is ever described as "in denial." The film ends on a note of realism. Some can pull out of it and some not.

Lemon and Remick are both professionals and they do their jobs well. Lemon is a more believable drunk than Remick, but neither is very convincing, partly because the script doesn't seem to have much of a handle on the behavior of alcoholics. Locked in their room together, the couple go through a two pints and at the end they act like two kids giggling and capering in a sand box. They're not nearly sluggish and slurred enough. It isn't until Lemon exits through the window in pursuit of that third pint that he begins to resemble a real drunk, stumbling, falling into the mud, and so forth. The scene also gives him a chance for a wrenching enactment of a man desperate to find that nepenthe hidden in the greenhouse, whose location he's forgotten. He wrecks the joint.

Blake Edwards, better known for his comedies like "Ten", has effectively directed this spooky tale of chemical dependency and despair, enough to drive anyone to the bottle.

A nightmare view of the dangers of alcohol

[enochsneed · 10/10 · 14 June 2005]

This is a shocking film. From the moment we see Joe Clay in a crowded bar telling the barman to "Hit me again" and whispering "Magic time!" before taking a drink, we realise that out of all the people in that room he is the man with a problem. Sadly, as in all these cases Joe is the last person to see that he needs help. Doubly sadly he takes someone else with him. Marrying a bright, non-drinking Kirsten, Joe introduces her to the pleasures of social drinking. Reluctant at first, after her first few Brandy Alexanders have made her giggly, Kirsten admits that having a drink "made me feel good". Unhappily their drinking doesn't stop there. Frustrated at work Joe feels the only way he can relax is to have "a coupla blasts" in the evening. Then he is frustrated because his wife is "stone cold sober". Wanting to demonstrate her love for Joe, Kirsten joins him in nightly sessions which find her drinking more and regularly getting drunk. As Kirsten develops a liking for liquor, bottles go missing from the drinks cupboard… When Joe is demoted and sent out of town Kirsten finds the best way to ease her loneliness is to drink it away. Drunk in the daytime she sets fire to their apartment and almost kills herself and her young child. Joe is fired and the next few years are a series of short-lived jobs and increasing addiction to drink. It certainly seems to be usual for Kirsten to be fairly drunk by the time Joe comes home. At last Joe has his "moment of clarity" and tries to dry out. The attempt fails when he and Kirsten fall off the wagon and start getting very drunk again. Their only hope is to join Alcoholics Anonymous. Joe can see this, but now it is Kirsten who refuses to believe she has a problem. Ultimately Joe has to make the nightmare decision to reject his wife who is now unable to face life without being drunk. Watching this shattering film is like being trapped in a nightmare where something horrible is happening and yet you cannot look away. A sense of doom hangs over this tragic couple who are unaware of the fate they are walking into. Thankfully the performances and direction are more than capable of delivering on the promise of this uncompromising story.

A harrowing and heart-breaking tale about a drunk man who gradually drags his wife down with him into alcoholism

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 4 April 2019]

A striking studio about alcoholism , being acclaimed then and nowadays . It deals with an alcoholic advertising clerk (Jack Lemmon) . He is an especial executive , a man uneasy with his job which involves procuring women for business parties and covering it by convival drinking . The exec on the fast track meets a secretary (Lee Remick) and then marries the young woman, whom he , little by little , addicts to booze. Once the marriage takes place , they drink to celebrate and they begin drinking simply to drink . Initially only social drinkers , so they can share his "passion" together and find themselves degenerating into alcoholism .

It is based on the original 1958 playhouse TV (teleplay starred by Clift Robertson , Piper Laurie , directed by John Frankenheimer) version of J.P. Miller story who adapted himself for the big screen . A heart-rending Hollywood masterpiece about booze depicting the tumultuous life a couple falling into desperation and craziness caused by alcoholism . As they cannot believe they are addicted until they finally hit bottom . The couple's battle to get off the bottle is harrowingly and masterfully chronicled . It was very strong , uncomprimising and almost unpalatable for its time . As the flick resulted to be unsettling , provoking , disturbing and surprisingly harsh with Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick giving two of the industry's bravest lead performances ever . A frightening , heart-breaking study with nightmarishing and memorable sequences as Lemmon is tied and locked in the ward of a hospital . Edwards's direction conveys a fine sense of frenzy , especially when Lemmon is hunting for the bottle at a hiding place in the greenhouse . This ¨Days of wine and roses¨1962 along with ¨Lost weekend¨1945 by Billy Wilder with Ray Milland , Jane Wyman are considered to be the best films about a thorny issue : Alcoholism . Jack Lemmon , then still best known for his comic characters here is terrific . Not only changed Lemmon's career from hilarious roles , as his acting gave him several chances , both , dramatic and comical characters. He is perfectly accompanied by the beautiful and young Lee Remick , providing her best interpretation . They are uncorfortably convincing as the marriage on a downward spiral into oblivion and distresses . And Charles Bickford should at least have been nominated in the best supporting actor playing the Remick's good father . Other important secondaries delivering top-notch acting are Jack Albertson , Alan Hewitt and Jack Klugman .

It contains a touching musical score by Henry Mancini , Edwards' regular. It display an evocative and atmospheric cinematography in black and white by director of photography Philip H. Lathrop . The title song sung by Andy Williams earned an Academy Award but lent a rather misleading glow to this engaging studio of booze . This well acted , stirring , and heart-rending drama was compellingly directed by Blake Edwards , at his best , so much that almost forget it was made by a comedy master . Edwards directed a lot of films, with penchant for comedy , such as : What did you in the war daddy ? , SOB , 10 , The fine mess , Micki and Maude , That's else , Skin Deep , Switch ; but he also made other genres , as drama : Darling Lili , The Tamarind seed , The Carey treatment , Experiment in terror and Western : Wild Rovers . Being particularly known for Pink Panther series : The Pink Panther , A shot in dark , Revenge of Pink Panther , The return of the Pink panther , The trail of pink panther , Pink Panther strikes again ..

Essential!!

[rainking_es · 10/10 · 14 March 2006]

Let me tell you something: to watch such an intense and heart-rending performance like Jack Lemmon's in "Days of wine and roses" is one of those exceptional things we bump into our lives. OK, Lee Remick does an outstanding job, but Lemmon's performance is simply supernatural. We got Picasso's "Gernika", Bowie's "Ziggy stardust", Wilde's "Dorian Gray"... and characters such as Joe Clat. Pieces of art, my friends.

Most of the people link the name of Blake Edwards to the high class comedy ("Breakfast at Tiffany's", "Pink Panther", "The Party"), but I'd dare to state that "Days of.." is his best movie by far. Step by step, Edwars shows us each and every stages an alcoholic gets through: from the party days to the "delirium tremens".

Ageless, universal, perfect... ESSENTIAL

*My rate: 10/10

Very Well Done Portrayal Of Alcoholism

[sddavis63 · 7/10 · 29 November 2007]

The movie opens with Joe Clay (Jack Lemmon) in a bar, soliciting girls to attend a party being thrown on a prince's yacht. It turns out that Joe isn't really happy with his job, effectively - as he himself puts it later in the movie - acting as a pimp for his firm's clients. He drinks because it's a part of his job; he also drinks because he doesn't much care for the job. On the prince's yacht, he meets Kirsten (Lee Remick) - his boss's secretary. She doesn't drink, and the two get off to a shaky start, but eventually they fall in love, and Joe manages to suck Kirsten into his world of drinking. They seem to be in love, they have a not bad marriage, they have a daughter, but the drinking gets more and more out of control and we watch as their lives unravel, to the point at which Kirsten almost kills herself and the daughter when she sets their apartment on fire after passing out while smoking.

It's a different kind of role for Lemmon, who at this point in his career - and later, for that matter - usually played in lighter stuff, but he pulled the part off magnificently, as did Remick in the role of Kirsten. The scene that I think will stay with me is Joe rolling around on the floor of his father-in-laws' greenhouse sucking on a liquor bottle like a baby would suck on its mother's breast. That was truly unsettling.

The movie starts off a bit slowly, although that's probably deliberate, since the point is how easily (and, in some ways, innocently) one can get into this mess. The second half of the movie, which introduces Jack Klugman as Jim, becomes in some ways a barely disguised commercial for Alcoholics Anonymous. Jim is a recovered alcoholic (almost TOO recovered in fact, and almost TOO good a guy to be believable) who's active in AA, and he rescues Joe from the drunk tank and sets to work at setting him straight. AA is a great organization that's helped a lot of people but somehow the promotion was too overt for me and it took away from some of the drama of the movie. The ending of the movie was appropriately ambiguous, offering both hope and despair, as Joe and Kirsten seem to take opposite directions in life.

Having grown up in a family in which alcoholism (not to this extent, but still very real) was common I've always marveled and been grateful for the fact that I managed to avoid it. This movie made me even more grateful. 7/10

The film shies away from being meaner...

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 29 July 2005]

Acting drunk is one of the hardest things for an actor to do really well. Many have tried and failed. Acting slaphappy-drunk seems to be more difficult than angry-drunk, and this is where Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick have a hard time. It's also director Blake Edwards' fault: the drunk highs don't seem spontaneous, and the couple's gaiety as they plan to get their hands on more booze is forced (and Lemmon's drunken glee is accompanied by a maniacal laugh which sounds more appropriate for something like "Some Like It Hot"). However, this couple's dramatics lows are harrowing (if not always convincing), and Jack's big scene in a greenhouse trying to find his hidden bottle is an amazing actors' feat. "Roses" is a good-looking film with a sobering conclusion, and many moments do come off successfully, yet overall the picture doesn't take chances, it isn't reckless enough and it doesn't feel natural. This is imperative for films about addicts on the edge. ** from ****

Timeless, timeless, timeless

[visceralgirl · 14 February 2001]

POSSIBLE SPOILERS - BEWARE

I will not bother repeating what others have said so well about this movie. The two things that struck me in particular about this movie were (1) the surprisingly graphic references (for its time) and (2) the amazing similarity of a 39 year old movie to things that went on in my late nineties life. I was surprised that the movie makers were allowed to be as candid as they were back in 1962. For example, Kirstin holding her breasts and telling her husband she can't drink because she is nursing. But the most astonishing scene was when in a drunken stupor she slips into her father's bed and tries to seduce him! Nobody talks much about that scene when discussing this movie. Maybe because it is too painful to fathom, the fact that one could lose that much control on alcohol. Are there any other movies about alcoholism that feature such a scene? I was in a marriage that had basically the same trajectory as the Clay marriage (no kids fortunately) except that alcohol was not the only partner (ahem). Seeing this movie made me see very clearly that alcohol and people never really change, regardless of any advances on behalf of the human race we make on the way. One last thing: I believe this was one of the first movies to make use of one of my favorite cinematic devices, that in which cartoons are playing on a television in the background of a scene in order to convey the insanity of the situation. It is put to good use particularly the second time when Joe finds his wife in a seedy motel room and the picture is completely distorted. "12 Monkeys," "The Twilight Zone," and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" used this trick but, pray tell, are there any early, early movies

Blueprint for alcoholism and the tragedy it fosters.

[gerryn-101-931942 · 9/10 · 3 December 2011]

Jack Lemmon, an up and coming Public Relations man and a budding alcoholic, meets Lee Remick, who doesn't drink, but likes chocolate. Jack introduces her to Brandy Alexanders and they soon embark on the downward spiral into alcoholism. Several years and several jobs later, Lee nearly burns down their apartment with their young daughter in it. Jack looses another job. Realizing they have lost control, they move in with Lee's father (Charles Bickford) and work in his greenhouse growing and delivering flowers and trees. Soon Jack gains Charles' trust and sneaks 2 pints of liquor into their room. After making short work of the 2 bottles, Jack nearly destroys the greenhouse drunkenly looking for the third bottle. Waking up in the mental ward with the DT's, Jack meets Jack Klugman, who introduces him to AA. After becoming sober and returning to work, Lemmon tries to woo Remick to join him in sobriety. At the close of the film, we know that Lemmon will remain sober, and can only hope that Remick will eventually join him in sobriety. As a Recovering Alcoholic (sober over 19 years) I can tell you this is a VERY plausible portrayal of the heartbreak that is alcoholism. I try to watch this film at least once a year just so I don't forget what I am. In addition to the wonderful writing and tremendous acting by both Jack and Lee, the theme 'The Days of Wine and Roses' by Henry Mancini weaves and haunts the entire film. Don't miss it!

Alcoholism could care LESS about love !

[SimplySteve · 10/10 · 18 June 2007]

Aside from the unbelievable acting, this film ranks as the best Hollywood has to offer on the subject of alcoholism. Jack Lemmon is in a class by himself with this picture. It has the stereotypical slide of drinking. But Lemmon pulls you right into that slide of terror with a performance of a lifetime. Lee Remick, who is always beautiful even when drunk, shows her chops as well, especially in the final scene. The movie portrays the real consequences when facing alcoholism. Exposing the truth that this "disease" doesn't care how much these two leads love each other. The usual, but unfortunate, excuses of denial in Remick and Lemmon that keep the downward spiral gaining speed. But also the gut wrenching decisions they have to make in order to live the life promised by sobriety. Two scenes in particular will have you riveted. The nursery scene and the final confrontation at the end. Jack Klugman play a supporting role and is excellent as the "A.A." guy. He reveals the blueprint these two need for happiness: THE TRUTH!

Misery Loves Company

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 18 January 2008]

Days of Wine and Roses was originally a live broadcast original drama from Playhouse 90 and starred Cliff Robertson and Piper Laurie. Both they and the drama got great critical reviews, but sad to say they were not considered any kind of box office, so when the film version was done, Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick were cast instead.

I've seen both versions and I'd hate to say which is the better. In terms of casting the part of Joe Clay fits right in with Lemmon's Mr. Average man roles. Imagine his character of C.C. Baxter if instead of taking his doctor's advice and becoming a mensch, gave in and turned to drink. That's what you have in Joe Clay.

Misery does love company, the most miserable drinkers are the solitary ones. Lemmon's job in public relations occasionally calls for him to supply some lady friends for his boss's party. So who could blame him when he mistakes Lee Remick, his boss Jack Albertson's new secretary for one of the hired bimbos.

Naturally the uptight Ms. Remick resents it at first, but she sure does warm up to him and eventually joins him in his boozing. They even marry and have a daughter.

The rest of the film is their joint descent into alcoholism and the effort of one who eventually joins Alcoholics Anonymous to help the other who simply won't be helped.

Charles Bickford repeats his role from the original Playhouse 90 broadcast and is a stern father figure for Remick who can't see why his own sternness may have helped drive her to Lemmon and booze. Look also for a very good performance by Jack Klugman as the counselor from Alcoholics Anonymous.

Remick and Lemmon were both nominated for Best Actress and Actor, but lost to Anne Bancroft and Gregory Peck respectively. Days of Wine and Roses did win an Oscar for Best Song with the title tune for the film. Andy Williams sold quite a few vinyl platters in his day with his version and their are good versions of the song by both Frank Sinatra and Tony Martin.

Days of Wine and Roses is still a powerful drama about the terrible evil of substance abuse. It hasn't lost anything in 46 years, in fact I'm willing to bet we may see a version for the new millenia.

The last great film about alcoholism.

[Spleen · 10/10 · 4 August 1999]

Actually, I think it's only the second, after "The Lost Weekend" in 1945. I apologise if there's any others I don't know about. But it's certainly true that the made-for-TV movie has ruined the genre. Today's alcoholism movies are dreary considered as movies, and offer no pleasure except indulgence of a feeling of moral superiority - which, it seems, is enough for some. It was just this dull moralising that "The Lost Weekend" and "Days of Wine and Roses" broke away from.

Forget about issue-of-the-month TV. Edwards wanted a film that was realistic AND worked as a story, and he found one.

Indeed this is his finest work. He gets great performances out of his two stars - here he was considerably more lucky than Wilder was, although there's nothing wrong with Wilder's cast. The story appears to wander but is really quite tight. Some scenes are fun; many dig into you like small knives. Perhaps there's one too many premonitions at the beginning (this is a problem Wilder didn't have, since his central character was an alcoholic at the start); and some may find that the guy from Alcoholics Anonymous near the end is a bit too good to be true. I also wish that Henry Mancini had stood firm against the temptation to write a smoozy bubblegum theme song for the opening credits. None of this matters, though. Your eyes will be on the central characters the whole time.

Very uneven - sometimes embarrassing, sometimes fantastic

[zetes · 6/10 · 17 July 2011]

A very uneven film about the horrors of alcoholism. The problem seems to be Blake Edwards' and Jack Lemmon's penchant for comedy. The story, at its base, is pure tragedy, but it's like Edwards doesn't want it to be too dark, so he cast a clown in the lead. Lemmon sparkles during the scenes where he's supposed to be charming, but he's not very convincing during the more dramatic sequences. Oh, and he can't do a drunk act worth a damn. I guess that's the film's biggest problem, really. No one in the classic era could play a convincing drunk. They always seem to overact terribly, and Lemmon in particular is bad at it. His co-star, Lee Remick, isn't quite as bad, but during her big drunk scene she comes off as not that good, either. In fact, she's pretty bad at it, but does seem fairly excellent in comparison with Lemmon. Remick is actually very good in the non-drunk scenes. The biggest flop of the film is the big, dramatic sequence where, after having been dry for a while at Remick's father's farm, Lemmon sneaks in a couple of bottles which they share. Cut to Lemmon jumping up and down on the bed with the two of them giggling like school children. That's the film's idea of alcoholics: they get goofy like kids and then throw tantrums like kids when they finish up their booze. Jesus, Lemmon's scene in the greenhouse, where he's tearing it to shreds trying to find a bottle he hid and freaking out, it's just embarrassing. Contrast that with the film's final sequence. You can see just how good the film could have been if it didn't go so over-the-top. The ending of the movie is heartbreaking.

Jack Lemmon at his Best

[cang1385 · 10/10 · 12 June 2004]

This is one of the finest films I have ever seen. The use of visual art in terms of light and shadow, symbolic pieces scattered throughout the film, dialogue, music, character movement, etc. all give this film the ability to transcend time and generation to endure. Jack Lemmon gives his best role ever in this film. He is known for his comedic excellence, but in the film his portrayal of Joe is both heartwarming and terrifying all in one. I recommend this film to anyone and everyone because, simply put, it is a public service announcement concealed in a work of cinematic excellence. It should be included on every list of the movies to see because it fulfills the criteria of both giving the viewer the pleasure of a great story but also leaves you with a message that remains with you when the film is long completed.

Good but a little forced.

[sgeorgiad · 7/10 · 16 June 2019]

Lee Remick and Charles Bickford turn in wonderful performances in this harrowing depiction of alcoholism. Although I enjoyed the film I felt the story and situations were a little contrived and forced and as much as I liked Jack Lemmon's performance I thought he too was a little over the top. It's worth watching but not Lemmon's best work.

So painfully authentic

[[e-mail] · 10/10 · 28 February 2021]

This is a tough film to watch if alcoholism has touched your life. Particularly the tragic dynamic of a marriage or family destroyed by it. But it's so important that Blake Edwards didn't sugarcoat it. That he showed Jack Lemmon repeatedly relapsing is SO important as well as the way an alcoholic will have such a single minded determination to get that next drink. The last scene of Lee Remick walking alone into the night was devastating and true. Unlike other movies about substance abuse, this didn't paint a false, quick fix, notion of recovery. These performances are absolutely gripping and so important. God bless them for making such an honest view into this world.

Pale Shadow of The Lost Weekend

[vitaleralphlouis · 6/10 · 6 August 2007]

Days of Wine and Roses can be taken as a good film on alcoholism --- indeed they show it in rehab clinics --- unless you've never seen Ray Milland in Billy Wilder's 1945 Oscar winner, THE LOST WEEKEND. Wilder's film was flawless; can't say the same about ROSES.

To begin with, ROSES is a screen remake of a superior Playhouse 90 CBS drama. Jack Lemmon was an overrated actor who always simply played Jack Lemmon; no difference from one movie to another -- even when he wore a dress in Some Like It Hot. Although Ray Milland was no hero in Lost Weekend, Milland was the kind of actor who could immediately involve the audience in his problems, whether booze or women. Jack Lemmon's advertising man is impossible to like, and simply makes a fool of himself --- particularly going berserk in Charles Bickford's greenhouse tearing up dozens of plants looking for a key. The obvious impulse is to think about pushing Lemmon's head underwater till the bubbles get quiet; not the intended audience response.

From the annoying, awful Days of Wine and Roses theme song to the final fade-out of the neon BAR sign, there are plenty of flaws here. It takes one to know one, they say. As a Recovering Alcoholic, I recommend LOST WEEKEND --- ROSES can drive a person to the bottle.

Lemmon & Remick are Fine. The film was awful!

[thespeos · 5/10 · 2 January 2022]

I've lived through alcoholism, drug addiction, etc. But this film is just a boring version of all that.

Here's my breakdown:

STORY: Story? Well, there really isn't one. It's two people who meet and have a triad relationship with alcohol. That's it.

Was the writer trying to make a social statement? Dunno. If was to show how alcohol doesn't solve anything, then it failed. My gut is this story became more than someone could handle, so it got treated poorly.

Maybe, just guessing, the writer was going for something like "The Apartment," but that film is miles and miles farther developed and executed than this. In any event, there's no story here.

ACTING: Of course the acting is fine, since Lemmon and Remick are both gifted actors.

TEMPO: Incredibly dull

CINEMATOGRAPHY: OK, but a bit on the cheesy side.

DIRECTING / WRITING: I loved some of the "Pink Panther" films. But outside of those few, Edwards hasn't done anything that thrills me.

Miller (writer) wrote almost exclusively for TV, and it shows, e.g this was a poor attempt at storytelling.

Is it a good film? No.

Should you watch this once? No, have a drink.

Rating 5.0.