I love Jack Lemmon. He hits the sweet spot of non-queer actors who play queer well, although perhaps Pauline Kael, in a recently resurfaced quote, better describes his allure. She spoke about his continued casting as Jewish despite being a goy, stating “He’s cast as a Jew for the same reason Montgomery Clift was after the accident that disfigured him – because the look in his face passes for pain.” Lemmon in this Billy Wilder classic embodies the quiet suffering of a man suppressed: by his bosses who use his titular flat without ever providing him upward mobility; by his neighbors who believe him a sex addict despite his never being the culprit; and by his own simmering desires for Shirley MacLaine’s magnetic elevator operator. Together their sadness spins a perfect end-of-the-year watch, capturing a welcome melancholy as 2024 draws to a close. – James Scott
Dec. 29 & 31
