They don't make movies like this anymore. Great dialogue, well-rounded characters, excellent direction, a nice pace, and fantastic acting. I've never really followed Holden's career and I've never seen Swanson before in a movie, but these two are phenomenal.Holden is a hack writer, Joe Gillis, who literally stumbles upon washed up actress Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) in her creepy mansion. They form a bond borne of both desperation and neediness. He needs money, she needs attention. Along the way, Joe meets Norma's butler/companion, Max, a fellow writer, Betty (Nancy Olson), and Joe's buddy, Artie (a pre-Dragnet Jack Webb).At first Joe sees this as a great way to get some money (his car is about to be repossessed). But as Norma slowly descends into madness, she starts pulling Joe with her. Ultimately, Norma completely loses her senses and Joe suffers for it. Holden and Swanson make the slow, painful descent completely believable. I'm sure there are other actors/actresses out there who could have pulled off these roles, but its hard to think of any. Holden is a smart aleck who makes jokes and writes dialogue with equal talent. Swanson is downright scary as the actress Hollywood wants to forget, but she refuses to let them off easy. She reminded me of that girlfriend who you break up with, but she refuses to accept it.I really loved the dialogue. Joe narrating the proceedings is an interesting quirk if you know the beginning of the movie (everything is told in flashbacks). The banter between the two is sometimes caring, sweet, and loving. Other times its harsh, angry and downright ugly. They both need each other, but being together is the worst thing for them.Hollywood has made some really great movies over the years. However, CGI, sex, and explosions have taken the place of great plots, dialogue and acting. Even though I was not born until 1966, I love these old movies. You just can't fake this kind of talent.

It's usually refreshing to watch a film that, even with the sheer amount of praise and recognition it gets, still delivers on all fronts. Sunset Boulevard is one of these movies; it has a great balance of not only being significant with its commentary on old Hollywood, but also being entertaining. There are many parts to this movie that contributes to its joy factor, my favorites are how dark this film turns out to be along with its character performances.Many classic films that I know of have a predisposition to be slightly comical and lighthearted, primarily because of the "overacting" and probably just due to how people looked at film back in the day. Sunset Boulevard is dark; drama is not merely a tool for storytelling or showcasing of talent and personal relationships are not touched on the same way modern drama films usually do so. The character archetypes are developed throughout the film are done in away that makes all the mystery and suspense so easy to become invested in. This is where my other favorite part of the film comes in: the actors/characters.Dramatic acting in old films is always so fun to watch. It's a craft that seems to have influenced a large part of acting seen in modern films but also can't be replicated due to their novelty. In Sunset Boulevard, the talent frontline consists of actors William Holden and Gloria Swanson. It's so easy to become enraptured by the performances these two give; Swanson's dramatic overacting is so entertainingly outlandish but also gathers meaning over time and Holden really knows how to portray emotions without verbalizing them while also giving some great little monologues here and there.Sunset Boulevard has been called "a movie about movies" with its commentary on the perceptions and misconceptions of Hollywood back then. Billy Wilder, the director of this film, came under a bit of fire for going this direction with this story. I think I can relate to most fans when I say that his efforts in portraying Hollywood and the film industry as a whole in such a different light has gained my utmost respect and gratitude, as I also found this film to be a very enjoyable experience.

Classic Hollywood Tale of Insanity: A struggling writer is hiding out from insurance collectors when he stumbles upon an abandoned mansion. The mansion belongs to Norma Desmond , an aged Hollywood starlet 0 years out of her prime. She's hold up in the mansion with her housekeeper, who keeps her in a delusional world of fake fan letters and false praise. She sits around and watches movies or herself and host card games with other retired actors.They hold Joe hostage to complete Norma's script she wants sent to Paramount Studios. Paramount, who's been moved on, bans Norma from the property but her housekeeper (secretly her first husband and director), keeps her in la la land.Joe falls in love with a young aspiring writer, which drives Norma more insane Joe is out creeping on her. She puts some bullets in his back and gets ready for her close-upOnce again excellent storywriting from Billy Wilder, and excellent use of lighting and cinematography

What a wonderful and witty script, filled with cynicism and an immaculate set up of two characters-Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond-who are so different that they perfectly drive each other deeper into each other's hubris. The more I learned about the history of that time, and the wise allegory the film makes so ahead of its time, the more I appreciate this cinematic gem. It's hard to know where to begin. The larger than life settings are awesome in the true sense of the word: from the formidable and grotesque mansion (with more trinkets than those owned by the world's best hoarders), to the real film sets in Paramount Studios, and the humdrum writing office turned into a courting stage filled with spark and excitement. The acting is fantastic, and Gloria Swanson seems to have been born for this part-perhaps her creation of Norma was inspired by her own experience, being a silent film star herself.The intelligent plot and character development brings both Desmond and Gillis to self-destruct, and bury each other further in delusions, while staying entirely convincing throughout. The misery of both of them, and their consequent desperation and need for each other, makes the viewer even more engrossed in the picture and the inevitable fate of the two.There are not enough words to describe the magnificence and precociousness of this film-it simply needs to be experienced and taken in. How lucky to have been able to watch it on the big screen! Thank you TCM.