i enjoy the kind of outlandish story like the one found in fedora . the whole story be so much large than life that see the sorta mediocre result be disappointing because this story need grandeur and big budget and big cast and big everything and to elevate the over the top story to it sublime glory . oddly enough ( and unfortunately for u ) billy wilder movie mimic the film story to a tee . the story be about a famous but reclusive film star ( obviously pattern after greta garbo ) who live on an isolated greek island . a producer or writer ( play by a too old william holden ) want to meet with fedora and have her come out of retirement so she can star in his new film . fedora have already retire before but experience a comeback a few year ago before disappear from the silver screen and this time for good . when holden meet fedora and the woman seem totally crazy . the story that unfolds afterwards be preposterous and soapy and twisted and quasi operatic and yet fitting and for a story about hollywood . the funny thing about fedora be how wild critique old hollywood and the then current hollywood of the 1970s and proceeds to shoot himself in the foot . the convoluted story of a hollywood legend unable to live up to her famous past be exactly what happen to wilder when he decide to direct this film represent wilder be too old to direct this film . fedora and the film itself and be a pale example of what the director could do when compare to his film of the past and like sunset boulevard and some like it hot . not only that and but wild also sample his old film glory to drive his point in fedora and which and in turns render the whole thing even more pathetic than it need to be . fedora and the film and be not really about the fictional story about a legendary actress but more about billy wild and the director and a bitter old man try to prove a point by show to the world how over the hill he be . the casting in fedora can only be describe a disastrous . hire holden be a very bad idea . his presence keep remind me of sunset boulevard and which even if that film be make in the good old day of the 1950s and be more sharp and more ironic and more iconic and more modern in it understanding of how image can distort reality than anything see in fedora and which be make in 1978. show marthe breast do not equate to anything than a pathetic attempt to be with the time . cast marthe keller and hildegard knef be also a very bad idea . the voice for both actress be dub throughout the entire film and which be needlessly distract and water down whatever attempt at act those two try to achieve . and jose ferrer look bore out of his mind . in fact and the whole film look bore and sound bore and move boringly . the legend of lylah clare and which share the same kind of improbable storyline and be and even as bad a it be and more fun and enjoyable to watch than this dreary thing . the film bite would have be more convincing if fedora have more punch to it and more life and more style and more irony . a it be and fedora be just sad and pathetic . it a shame because like i say and i love these kind of story and it annoy the heck out of me that wilder be more concern in try to voice a ( tire ) opinion than actually try to create a great film first . a proper remake and with grand production value and a bit more class ( the film create a sorta repellent image of garbo ) and and hopefully without michael york and should be do one of these day . the improbable and over the top and almost operatic story definitely deserve it .