Seven Girlfriends

Okay, maybe the name Tim Daly would scare you off from watching this movie, but trust me. This movie is so much better than all of Jennifer Aniston's and David Schwimmer's movies combined. This movie is cleverly written and full of a series of surprising and comical twists and turns.

The cast may not be your typical movie picks. Yet Paul Lazzarus wrote and directed this movie well. Tim Daly was surprisingly good as Jesse, a 32 year old bachelor whose former-fiance dies, and he tracks down his former girlfriends to find out where he went wrong. And believe me, when you see this movie, his girl trouble turns out to be more than just bad luck.

Some of the most hilarious scenes come when his answering machine messages get saved by one of his girlfriends, and a certain scene with another one of his former girlfriends' daughter. I can't tell you the specifics of these scenes, but I guarantee you, it will be funny.

The acting is done very well, the script is well written, and this is in no way like High Fidelity. It may not have exactly gotten "Titanic" advertising, but it is a must-see. See it when you get the chance.

"Seven Girlfriends", has many moments of potentially inspired comedy each of which are dampened to the point of being merely ok by the TV-style direction of Paul Lazaras. Oddly enough, Lazaras also had a hand in the very screenplay he almost ruins with his mediocre direction (but before handing out the Pulitzer, it should be noted that the basic plot of this film--an immature man seeks out old girlfriends to find out why he is incapable of maintaining a relationship--is very, very similar to Nick Hornby's 1996 novel "High Fidelity", itself recently made into a superior film by Steven Frears).

In the hands of a director less hack-ified by his TV experience, and with a more interesting lead player than the similarly TV-bland Timothy Daly, the screenplay of "Seven GF's", as written, with its blend of heart-felt sentiment and gross-out humor, could have been a big, big, "Something About Mary" hit. And before anyone who's a fan of this film jumps me for comparing the tame final product "7GFs" became to a Farrely Brothers movie, lets not forget the scene in "7GFs" where a character creams in his pants during a mild good-night kiss. AND lets not forget how bland the director made the moment. I mean, really--how do you make that kind of thing bland?!

SO, time to do a remake. Get the Farrelys (or at least a director who hasn't been turned to mush by directing too many TV shows) and get a star who has some kind of...I don't know...charisma, or talent, or sense of humor, or light behind his eyes or something! I mean, nothing against Daly as an actor--for TV he's fine. But he's not an interesting person to watch; he gives a perfect reading of someone you would get bored with at a party. Give us Ben Stiller, or John Cusack--somebody with a spark. Somebody who can make us laugh, and think, and occasionally cringe with recognition.

At least when you see a really BAD movie made from a good screenplay, the script gets buried--you can't really tell there was any potential. But when you see a mediocre movie made out of a good screenplay, all you can think about as you watch it is--"man, that SHOULD have been good!"

This one should have been good.

Viewers looking for a fun, easy-going film are likely to be wary of selecting a small-budget independent film. Will it be too "arty?" Too obscure? Just plain lousy? At a screening I recently attended, Paul Lazarus, the director of Seven Girlfriends, noted that this film was consciously produced to be a commercial movie: accessible and enjoyable. On both counts, it succeeds admirably.

Tim Daly is charming as Jesse, the protagonist who is so frustrated with unsuccessful relationships that he decides to seek out, one by one, each his ex-girlfriends and figure out what went wrong. Laura Leighton is a pleasure, too, as the most meaningful of Jesse's loves, despite spending the majority of her screen time in flashbacks. Melora Hardin has a somewhat smaller role, but she shines while onscreen, making each of her scenes count. And yes, that's really her singing. All in all, despite a lack of marquee names, nary a weak performance is to be found.

The film is by no means a masterpiece, nor it does it ever aspire to be one. Yes, there are themes of maturity, loss, and forgiveness, and all these are treated respectfully and tenderly, but they never weigh down upon the energy and sweetness that the movie exudes. There is a wonderful blend of true emotional significance, clever plot surprises, and outright hilarious scenes.

Some "been-there-done-that's" pop into the film from time to time, and it's true that Seven Girlfriends won't change your life or leave you deeply moved. But as romantic comedies go, it far outclasses most of the lifeless schlock churned out by bigger studios. It will take you on a delightful ride, perhaps toss a few insights your way, and leave you with a smile on your face.

These kind of low budget movies are a great reason to have digital cable. I had never heard of "Seven Girlfriends" but noticed that the likeable Tim Daly was in it. Since many movies that are played on cable late at night are usually uninteresting, I thought I would take a gamble with this movie.

It was surprisingly enjoyable for a relatively simple premise. Daly's Jesse is very much someone who could be your neighbor rather than some big Hollywood larger-than-life star. Though he has the enviable task of having to spend time with some of Hollywood's less known but very beautiful actresses, Daly makes every scene watchable. Though I didn't find any "laugh out loud" type humor, it still had very humorous scenes all throughout the film.

I was very impressed by many of the actresses, particularly Mimi Rogers, Laura Leighton, Olivia d'Abo and Melora Hardin even with their rather limited screen time. But that's what made the film flow so well. In the end, I was not surprised which actress Daly ended up with, but it was a nice thing to see. I also liked that there were still more scenes shown even with the credits running through the end. It made the experience of the characters that more satisfying to watch. This is a nice little light movie to put a smile on your face. Highly recommended.

Tim Daly is very good in his role as a man who can't seem to make a relationship last. En route to the funeral of his ex-girlfriend, who was once his fiancée, he talks with each of his girlfriends to discover why the relationships didn't last. There are some really inspired bits in this film, particularly at his lesbian ex's party and one reason his high-school sweetheart gives for breaking up: His voice is too high when he sings along with the radio(we hear evidence in the film). He responds: "It's harmony!" The one thing I liked about this film more than anything was the ending. Some movies I've seen kind of left me empty or had a really unresolved ending. But not this film. I'm not going to give away too much, but just say it really left me satisfied. I highly recommend this film, to anyone who wants a simple romantic comedy.