Weird, dirty, desperate, tragic Hollywood. That’s the best Hollywood. The industry’s dark side is also its most interesting side. Billy Wilder’s withering masterpiece is the world’s greatest work about the showbiz dream gone wrong. It pairs like Merlot and Gouda two classic losers in the game. He (William Holden) is a broke screenwriter, new to the scene, who chases work while his creditors chase him. She (Gloria Swanson) is a forgotten icon of the silent era gone crazy in a tomb-like mansion. Talk about pessimism! Here, even a big star becomes a failure when times change, she gets old and the movies don’t want her anymore. Meanwhile, she still lusts after the spotlight. These two characters meet and infect each other with their bad luck with zero chance of a happy ending. We know it right from the start. It’s the most noir opening scene in film history: William Holden floating dead in a swimming pool while his from-the-grave narration begins the story of how he got there. This film’s irreverence toward show business incensed a few old school moguls at the time. Louis B. Mayer HATED it. Nevertheless, it’s gone down as a classic and an easy entry on the shortlist of flawless movies.