Fedora (1978) ***

Billy Wilder's Fedora (1978) has many parallels to his earlier Sunset Boulevard (1950). Both films star William Holden and both films are about Hollywood "has-beens." Whereas SB focused on an aging silent film star, here the lament is surrounding the Golden Age of Hollywood (with a Vertigo-like twist thrown in for good measure). Fedora is an old-fashioned, melodramatic story—befitting its subject matter—but it comes off a bit campy at times (though in more of a lackluster rather than wildly pleasing or hilarious way). A solid penultimate film from a master director, but no masterpiece itself.

You can find my Billy Wilder Films Ranked list here.

You can find my Top 20 Directors list here.