Seven Girlfriends

"Seven Girlfriends" is an unusually fresh and creative light comedy centered on one man and the many women in his life, past and present. The flick is technically and artistically a journeyman effort with a solid distaff which trods gently upon its humble protagonist. A little herky-jerky with lots of flash backing, "Seven..." is full of surprises with little to fault. A good video watch for guys and gals in the mood for a light hearted comedy which celebrates the foibles of heterosexual relationships.

"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.

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.

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.

Although the movie is a bit slow at first, the viewer will be rewarded for his or her patience. Excellent depiction of fantasy. This little gem features numerous humorous situations that many of us may recognize from our own lives--very funny sexual fantasies, leaving messages on the answering machine that you live to regret, swearing off men or women forever, people who believe they possess psychic powers, etc. As an example, a funeral scene and the subsequent wake will make you laugh until you cry. You will still be laughing days later.

If you are a fan of Tim Daly, like I am, you may have no idea of his gift for physical comedy. The supporting cast is also very good.