ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Majorthebys Charming and brutal

Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

mark.waltz This Billy Wilder black comedy has nothing to do with any of the talents that brought international audiences Divorce, Marriage or Ghosts, but this is definitely Italian style with a taste of both Yankee Doodle Dandy and Pip, pip cheerio. Jack Lemmon managed a Golden Globe but not an Oscar nomination for his flustered businessman who heads to exotic and romantic Italy where he must claim the body of his father who was killed in a car accident. Secrets of what his father was up to connects him with a beautiful British lady (Juliette Mills) who is described as supposedly fat but is anything but. Blackmail, American diplomats interfering and even murder are the order of the day, with the presence of a mustache clad maid whom I thought at first was a man in drag.This film gets off on the right foot with a scene on an airplane where Lemmon and some anonymous old man switch clothes for some reason, and forgetting to swap passports. Later, Lemmon keeps encountering Mills who is seeking him out, and thinking that she is nuts, tries to shrug her off. As the secrets of his father's activities are slowly revealed, resulting in the meeting with an opportunistic Italian family with extortion on their mind.At an amazingly fast two and a half hours, this is a hidden treasure, very successful at the time, but overlooked among director Billy Wilder's many gems. Wilder regular Jack Lemmon is very funny as the frustrated international tourist, fortunately lacking the obnoxiousness of his mid- westerner visiting New York on "The Out of Towners". Mills is charming and confident in one of her few films, and has nice chemistry with Lemmon. also hysterically funny is stage veteran Clive Revill as the flamboyant hotel proprietor who has a word of wisdom for every situation and a crack for everything he can't advise on. Edward Andrews makes a late entry as the American diplomat who is a "friend" of Lemmon's family, summoned from France to Italy by Lemmon's unseen wife.With a practically perfect screenplay by Wilder and longtime partner I.A.L. Diamond, this is a beautiful looking travelogue with a fun story and many humorous situations. It may seem at first glance to be a bit too long, but once you get settled into the plot line, you won't even notice.

mr-markgonzaga OMG, WHO KNEW! Juliette Mills has a beautiful and FULL, rounded pair! I mean, you could tell on Nanny & The Professor but REALLY, until AVANIT, who knew. TOUCHE! Needless to say, after watching this film it must have been rated "R" for the time it premiered. An excellent film with a marvelous performance by Juliette Mills. Jack Lemmon was excellent in the part but I can easy see another actor in the role if need be, but NOT in Juliette Mills' role! Juliette's innocent and pure nature reflects the quality of the character needed though the character if far from naive of the ways of the world. Quite a turn-about from Nanny: Phoebe Phigalilly. Gorgeous scenery, clever wit and a story that is as fresh in it's approach to a classic situation as when it was written with NO comparison what so ever to so much of the forgettable junk-food movies of today overloaded with super-heroes and senseless violence! This film depicts the original 'super-heroes' of mankind at their best, a man and a women up against their human nature and sexual instincts with an inspiring back-drop location of the breath taking coast of Italy! Ah, I remember the isle of Capri! ... an avenue to a man and women's dreams and full of glorious emotions. A MUST SEE! 10!

mainefred My favorite comedy. I must have seen it 10 times, laughing just as much each time. Billy Wilder at his best, aided by a wonderful cast of character actors, headed by the marvelous Clive Revill. Then there is the coroner, with his ever-ready official stamp, Bruno the valet, the restaurant head waiter, and the hilarious Trotta brothers - all set against beautiful Mediterranean scenery and gorgeous Neapolitan music. Who could ask for anything more? Juliet Mills is perfect in the female lead, and Jack Lemmon, while too edgy for my taste, is more than adequate. The movie gives you one great scene after another. If you've never seen it, I envy you. You will probably want to watch it again and again.

yamxt600 I have to admit that I am usually more into movies like Fight Club or Lord of the Rings and so I watched Avanti only because there was really nothing else on TV and I was too lazy to put in a DVD.And then something magic happened: I got totally sucked into this movie, up to the point that I had tears in my eyes in the final scene.Jack Lemmon has always been a great actor, but in this movie he's absolutely awesome. Juliet Mills is beautiful, charming and Clive Revill as omnipresent hotel director with dozens of relatives is simply hilarious.And the story... Well, if you didn't believe in love before, then Billy Wilder shows you that it really does exist - and that it does not matter who you are and where you come from. Only the moment counts.Don't make the mistake to ignore this jewel just because it might be a bit older or because you think romantic comedies are just for girls. This movie has everything cinema is about and I thank Billy Wilder for creating it.