In San Francisco, the public relations Joe Clay (Jack Lemmon) drinks everyday to "socialize" with his clients. After an incidental meeting with the secretary Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick),they date and sooner they get married. When they have a baby girl, Joe becomes alcoholic, Kirsten begins to drink to follow her husband, and both become alcoholics. Joe loses his job and they destroy their lives. After many trials, Joe is treated, desintoxicated and supported by the AA, while Kirsten remains a chronic drunkard.

"Days of Wine and Roses" is a realistic sad drama that exposes the life of a drunken couple from their top to the bottom of the well. Together with "The Lost Weekend", I believe these are the two best movies Hollywood properly and seriously produced about this important subject. The sad story has no final redemption or commercial conclusion, and is a must see. The gorgeous Lee Remick and the excellent Jack Lemmon have magnificent performances and deserved their nomination to the Oscar. The wonderful cinematography and the magnificent unforgettable song of Henri Mancini complete this high-class classic film. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Vício Maldito" ("Damned Vicious")

This movie was first a television play performed live and then went on to Hollywood for a slightly glossier production. This is NOT a bad pedigree, as shortly before this the TV movie "Marty" was also brought to Hollywood and became one of the best movies of the 1950s. Both the TV and Hollywood versions are excellent--see either or both if you get the chance.

To me this movie is the antithesis of "The Lost Weekend". "The Lost Weekend" was not a very realistic portrayal of alcoholism in many ways--particularly the ending where the lead suddenly just kicks his addiction and everything is hunky-dory. Get real! ""Days of Wine and Roses instead does not pull punches. It refuses to give in to sentimentality and take the typical Hollywood approach to films. There is no happy ending, there were surprises and heartbreak--much like dealing with alcoholism in real life.

Because it would spoil it to give too much information, I will only briefly discuss the plot. Jack Lemmon is a business man who slowly goes from the "two martini lunch" to alcoholism. His acting was very convincing and gut-wrenching. Equally compelling is his wife, Lee Remick, who puts on the performance of her life as the long-suffering wife who slowly goes from co-dependent to alcoholism herself. I've worked in a chemical dependency program and I've got to tell you, all the excuses and bargains and excesses in the movie were exactly what my clients had said and done as well. It is obvious the writers were doing their homework, as the movie delivers on every level.

UPDATE: Since this review, I was able to see the original teleplay--which, along with a few other teleplays of the era, are available through the Criterion Collection. See this in its original form. While not nearly as glossy, it still packs a huge dramatic punch!

Both Jack Lemmon and Blake Edwards have done some great work in their careers, but it's work that couldn't be any more different to the serious subject of alcoholism that Days of Wine and Roses approaches, whereas both are known for their comedy work. The work for both Lemmon and Edwards however in Days of Wine and Roses is a great example of being successful for doing something different to what they usually do.

Edwards very wisely restrains here and he brings to the film and its story a surprising amount of poignancy, for someone who directed the Pink Panther films that is not something that you'd expect from him and it's remarkable here. Lemmon was a very funny and likable actor, and in a role that is unlike anything else he's done he's heart-wrenchingly powerful. Did he deserve his Oscar nomination? Yes, but because of the competition that year(Gregory Peck and especially Peter O'Toole) it wasn't a problem that he didn't win. Lee Remick, also deservedly Oscar-nominated(while perhaps the weakest of the nominees, which is in no way a dump, just comparatively),is beguiling and is also very moving. Their chemistry is altogether riveting. Charles Bickford and especially Jack Klugman give excellent supporting turns.

Visually, Days of Wine and Roses is sumptuous and gritty, suiting the subject matter very well. Henry Mancini's music score is stylish and appropriately understated, he also penned the haunting Oscar-winning theme song(a deserved win and one of his best). The script is honest and uncompromising, with some irreverent wit to start with, but mostly very poignant and hard-hitting with plenty to say and exposing it very truthfully. The story is still very powerful and affecting(for back then also pretty progressive),especially the Greenhouse and ending- which was the perfect and only logical way to end the film- scenes, and is as relevant today(with alcohol still very much a problem) as it was then, the message making its point without being preachy or sugar-coated. It also paints a mostly plausible and realistic depiction of alcoholism, with the mood swings and the denial for examples and I did like that it did touch upon Kirsten's addictive personality, but what could have been depicted more was the desperate need for alcohol and the guilt when giving in.

To conclude, a heart-rending and surprising film, and one of the better films to depict alcoholism. 9/10 Bethany Cox