Lust auf Liebe

Well, this film was made to fill a niche that no longer exists. Like the old B-movies sort of went away when that area fell to television, this film was soft-core before cable channels filled that niche. And, it does so better, having B-list actresses, rather than D-list and former porn actresses. Most of the actresses did really solid work, especially Karen Black, Marilyn Lightstone, and Helen Shaver. Tom Berenger was awkward to the point of being painful to watch, but I doubt that it is due to bad acting. That is almost certainly the director's vision. The dialogue was also painfully awkward, but that only makes sense. The background of the 1956 Hungarian uprising made for some interest as well. The film is intended to be sexy, so consider that when deciding to view this one.

To be very honest, I can't really disagree with some of the negative reviews out there concerning this film. But every once in a while, some movie appeals to you and deep down you know that it's really not that good. As for this one, I've seen it a few times and I always enjoy it.

The film basically covers all of Berenger's sexual adventures with women who are somewhat older than he is. While he seems to fall deeply in love with them, these relationships don't seem to work out for him.

I really don't know what point this film is trying to make. Berenger's first real intimate relationship with Karen Black ends when he's unfaithful to her, his next one when he goes to Canada to escape turmoil in his country and leaves his rebel woman behind, the third woman is simply frigid and dumps him after he finally gets her off and finally he can't make it work with Helen Shaver.

I simply enjoy the movie. Tom Berenger is my favorite actor and he's very appealing here, as always. On the whole, this film is well acted, Karen Black very good especially. The movie looks good enough, with convincing settings, but I think it was produced on a relatively low budget. It's fairly dramatic at times, especially when he has to leave one girlfriend behind in war ridden Hungary.

This movie ain't spectacular or anything, but I like it.

One quibble; what's with that poster. Seems like a porno flick, definitely not the cover for this film.

Like someone else on this page has already said, this movie should not be approached as a serious period piece, but as a soft-core porn flick. The vapid characters have been stripped of all human dimensions except their sex drive. You kind of wonder when exactly Tom Berenger's character found the time to become a philosophy professor, since we almost always see him in a horizontal position, if you know what I mean. But nobody can deny that the film does have some genuinely erotic moments (Susan Strasberg steals the show in that department, as the always "hungry for more" Bobbie). (**)

Tom Berenger plays a young Hungarian having flings with older women.

Pretty much a soft soft soft core porn flick. Really, boy meets girl, boy seduces girl, girl sleeps with boy.

Why are the women such sluts in this film? They will have sex at any opportunity given. Not once does Tom Berenger get turned down for sex. It is quite a boring film but it seems ever 2 minutes Tom Berenger has a new bed buddy. So it ain't that bad. But if you're looking for entertainment, this film aint for you.

My rating.. 1/5.

George Kaczender's In Praise of Older Women, from Stephen Vizinczey's novel of the same name, is an extremely controversial film. The Canadian version of the MPAA objected to the nudity and explicit simulated sex in the film and would not release it unless Kaczender removed 2 minutes of footage. Kaczender was willing to remove 10 seconds of footage. Eventually, a compromise was reached and 30 seconds were edited out of the film. IPOW was released in 1978 and won 4 "Genie" Awards.

Regardless, IPOW is nothing more than a classier version of the type of film The Asylum would produce in 2014. Tom Berenger, in his second notable film appearance, plays Andras Vayda, a young man who wants to be a professor and is looking for love. Thing is, he doesn't want to get frisky with women his own age. He seems more interested in seducing women who are 15 years his senior or older. Throughout the movie, he has affairs with a number of older women throughout a 12 year period played by the likes of Karen Black, Marilyn Lightstone, Susan Strasburg, Alexandra Stewart and Helen Shaver (who was actually 2 years younger than Berenger was) while an older voice representing him narrates at times.

Despite being nothing more than soft core pornography, there are some good scenes. Alberta Watson, another one of his conquests, plays a cabaret singer dressed in a French outfit who sings a seductive song that piques his interest. Shaver, who won a "Genie" for her character of Ann MacDonald, offers some light comic relief and Black is as solid as ever as Maya, the gateway to Andras' love of cougars. Berenger shows promise as an actor early on but despite his top billing, cedes to the established actresses. The movie also uses the 1956 Hungarian Revolution as a backdrop and then later his time as a professor in Montreal.

While not a great piece of cinema, it is a good film among 1970's erotica and it's elevated by the big names in the cast, present and future. Certainly worth a look for curiosity sake.