An Affair to Remember

• Directed by Leo McCarey
• July 19, 1957
• Remake of the 1939 film Love Affair by Leo McCarey

A well-known playboy meets a young woman aboard a transatlantic ocean liner while traveling from Europe to New York after which the begin an affair. And it’s memorable. The title says so.

An Affair to Remember is considered one of the all-time great romantic films and after viewing it I must say it certainly does deserve much of those accolades. They treat things maturely in the story. They take the narrative very slowly and don’t necessarily throw issues or problems just to slow the story up. But rather whatever happens is an outgrowth of the situation the two lovers find themselves in. And they proceed not from my position of lust and desire but from a position of a love that both did not expect but both strongly need to experience.

And unlike many romantic films today, it’s focus is not on sex. Admittedly this was 1957 but there is not the 1950s implication of a physical or an intimate moment. I applaud them for that. These are adults feeling something they did not expect.

Cary Grant as Nickie Ferrante and Deborah Kerr as Terry McKay deliver nuanced and mature romantic performances. Their screen chemistry is just amazing from the start. And that is probably the most important thing in any romantic film. You must believe that these people can be a couple either for the moment or for an extended period of time.

They meet rather unexpectedly on a boat that Nickie is taking to be with his intended fiancé. Nickie is a roguish character not given to fidelity. He even admits so though it seems to be he is developing a bit of a guilty conscience over that. On the trip he meets Terry whom it looks like will be just one more in a series of conquests but as the story progresses it’s clear that there is something more there.

Both have entered into relationships as much because they care about the person but also more because they both feel it’s their last chance for an enduring relationship. They are afraid to be alone at the point in life in which they find themselves. Mentally they are much older than they are physically.

It starts as friendly banter and then careful and tentative before it develops into real feeling. The first real sign of romantic feelings occurs on New Year’s Eve with the final culmination of the relationship and the implication of the future together happening on the following Christmas.

Both know that what they are doing is wrong on some level, but both also have a strong and dare I say pure need to be with each other? Neither expected what they are experiencing to happen but happening it is.

An Affair to Remember is a smartly written and well directed movie that just isn’t done very much today anymore. They take their time and do not rush and include bits of humor and even points where the characters analyze the situation and have doubts about what they are doing or question themselves about something. This is not something shallow but rather complex people navigating how they feel.

Everything builds upon the romance and if it went wrong could easily derail it. You care about them getting together and there is enough doubt in here since nothing is telegraphed that you believe it could not happen.

Grant was a great actor that does not get the love he deserves. He did what he did effortlessly. He could be charming and sophisticated or an endearing cad with equal ease. Few can hope to be so good. He was so natural no matter the part and brings that talent to full use here. Nickie matures as a person during the film and you feel how real it is. You feel the character’s highs and lows. You feel the emotional punches of as they deal with their feelings.

And the style you see in this movie is tasteful and elegant fashion. I really miss people dressing like this. I would like to see more people wearing casual suits and ties rather than some of the weird ass crap we get today. I’ve seen men wearing stuff that looks like a bizarre cross between pajamas and pant suits. Where did we go wrong?

With great performances and a great script and handled by a great director, An Affair to Remember is a must see for all fans of not only romantic films but of classic film. If you haven’t watched this, you most certainly should. It is a must see!