Woman Times Seven

Boasting swinging '60s ambiance, handsome set design, and a sumptuous score, "Woman Times Seven" is a somewhat underwritten set of sketches with Shirley MacLaine playing seven different roles. Some are more rewarding than others, but stick with it to the end and you will find much to enjoy.

Other than MacLaine, the common elements in the film are the score, the Paris setting, and a common thread of romantic hopes found wanting. The subtitle mentions "7 Stories Of Adultery," which is more than a bit of exaggeration.

In the first sketch, Shirley plays a mourning widow being wooed during her husband's funeral procession by a bearded Peter Sellers. I watched this film just to see Sellers, but his segment is the slightest and second-weakest in the film. Basically, it's a one- joke premise where the viewer is left to wonder whether Paulette (MacLaine's character here) is really grief-stricken or merely holding out for a better deal from her new, rich suitor. It doesn't so much end as fizzle out.

The next two segments are similarly thin plot devices. Maria Theresa (MacLaine) finds her husband with another woman and decides to find a man on the street to be unfaithful with, even if she has to be a prostitute for a night. It's a bit shaky in its exposition but manages a few laughs. Then, as Linda, we see rather a great deal of MacLaine as a brainy nudist who leads two horny men to her apartment to discuss art and poetry. Other than getting naked (in ways that shield her from us if not the guys), Linda doesn't make much with the time given her, and the sequence limps to a wet, predictable conclusion.

But just as one is about to give up on this movie as a slim curio of its time, it finds its legs. In the next sequence, Edith (MacLaine) is the forlorn wife of a writer too caught up in the fantasy of his latest creation, the capricious Simone (MacLaine actually plays eight roles in this film as we see her as Simone in dream sequences). Edith goes all out to win back his interest. It's not that clever, but it is endearing, with MacLaine showing depth as the wistful, dowdy companion of a faithful but distracted man.

Director Vittorio De Sica was a legend for films made well before this one, and may have been coasting here, offering up bon-bons in place of substance. But he finds nice ways to give the film interest even in the slacker parts. In the Paulette sequence, he plays up how differently younger and older people react to the passing cortège, the younger ones carefree and bored, the older ones respectful and oddly intent. In the Edith sequence, there's a moment in a supermarket when we see her talking to a beautiful woman who marvels at her husband's passionate prose. The woman stands in front of a counter full of cookies, while Edith stands in front of a row of dog biscuits.

The last three sequences are the heart of the film's charm and lasting power, each comedic in different ways, each giving MacLaine worthwhile characters to play. Eve is the rich consort of a captain of industry, so bent on making a big splash at the opera in a new gown that she arranges for a bomb to go off in the car of a fashion rival. Her husband is suitably aghast.

"You have never taken a risk for me, ever!" she whines at him. It's a fun, farcical dig at high finance and haute couture that makes its pointed digs with gentle good humor.

As Marie in the penultimate sequence, MacLaine plots her own suicide in a seedy hotel with her squeamish lover (Alan Arkin). Here the humor is of the black variety, but rather effective, especially as they argue over which way to do themselves in. Romeo and Juliet they aren't. This may be her best acted part of the film, as she's quite funny in a role that could be deadly serious.

The last, and by far best sequence, features a woman named Jean (MacLaine) who alternately laughs at and lusts over a man (Michael Caine) who follows her around the City of Light to her husband's apartment. "He's got that little-lost-boy look going for him," purrs Jean's more worldly companion Claudie (Anita Ekberg). The sequence ends memorably and cleverly, but really benefits from a second viewing, once you have learned the Caine character's secret. Our last look of MacLaine staring out a window at footprints in the snow has an affecting beauty all its own.

Add to that Riz Ortolani's music and the visual treat of Paris itself shot during a time it truly was the City of Light, and there's a lot to enjoy. Even if a couple of sequences are not gems in themselves, better material follows, and all is presented with ample, lasting charm.

Shirley MacLaine playing seven different women in seven short stories directed by Vittorio De Sica about male-female relationships. Putting indefatigable Shirley in a variety of wigs and costumes opposite a host of male and female stars in guest cameos probably sounded foolproof, but the movie progressively loses steam after its opening episode at a funeral (and the whole idea reminds one of MacLaine's "What a Way to Go!" besides). Alan Arkin, Rossano Brazzi, Shirley's "Gambit" co-star Michael Caine, Elsa Martinelli, Anita Ekberg, Vittorio Gassman and a pre-"Being There" Peter Sellers offer some cute bits and pieces, but this isn't the comedic tour-de-force MacLaine's fans were hoping for. US-French-Italian co-production doesn't look terribly good, while director De Sica's work is scattershot. ** from ****

Woman Times Seven may not be the greatest film IL' Shirl has ever made ("Being There" comes to mind), and it may not be her high water mark for sheer feminine beauty (the scene where she's on the elevating psychiatrist's couch in "What A Way To Go" certainly takes that prize), but just to look at her as the grieving widow, to the surprise revelation of that cute little bow at the back of her apron in such a strategic place, to how she CLEARLY was the most spectacular femme at the opera...ah, what a piece of work is woman!

In this day and age, where women think that they don't need makeup, or stockings, or stiletto pumps, where hair is considered attractive if it looks like one just got out of bed and used fingers alone, and before they wake up and realize that tattoos and piercings are sooo trampy, that quick-cut set of takes where she is at once the house mouse in her little peignoir and just as instantly the SAME WOMAN is the man-eating vixen Simone is CLEAR CUT PROOF that with the right grooming and wardrobe ANY woman can be a goddess. I've been saying THAT for years, but no one but the cinematic cognoscenti would even know what I'm talking about.

Beyond that, the flick has EXACTLY the right taste of Sixties-flick, and that's enough said. Remember: Heaven will be all-Sixties forever.

JTC

A film directed by the great Vittorio de Sica with Shirley MacLaine! How exciting I thought. Then, every episode has Shirley with a different leading man, Peter Sellers, Alan Arkin, Michael Caine, Vittorio Gassman, Rossano Brazzi, etc, etc. Well, it was too good to be true. The stories are slight and I kept waiting for a bit of ooph. Okay, no. No oomph really but it has moments. Michael Caine and Shirley in a moving comedy of errors for instance and it has her, Shirley MacLaine and that in itself makes it a must because she'll be there for us , seven times, one hundred per cent.

Even the old bad films to me are a hundred times better than what I see today. Although it is a silly film, Shirley is fabulous and looks wonderful in each story line. I love foreign films made in Paris, France and Italy so this was a treat with all the fabulous location shots. Peter Sellers of course is genius as he always was!

I never saw this film and I am an old movie buff so I was glad to see some one in particular. Vittorio DeSica made this film in 1967 which appeared to be slightly different than some of his films.

I still think the film is worth seeing if you are a Peter Sellers and Shirley MacLaine fan.