"How many directors make films to satisfy their
sexual fantasies?" a rich man asks his bachelor son,
"Most of them," the son responds. This interchange
chimes the motivation of the movie. As if this film's
director seeks to absolve his obvious indulgence.
Like a friend with loose lips asking, "Doesn't
everyone gossip?"
God no! Most films aren't about anyone's sexual
fantasies, though many films at moments might dabble.
"8 1/2 Women" isn't dabbling. Intrigued by the title
and expecting anything other than a "dating game"
flick, I endured over two hours worth of the sexual
escapades of the rich and insatiable. Now, I'm not
dismissing the subject matter, it's quite likely that
an excellent film could have been made about an
individual's particular erotic longings.
The film opens in Japan, as a European tycoon and
his son take over a Pachinko casino. The son manages
the place, while dad goes back home. Soon enough the
tycoon's wife passes away, leaving him in need of an
extraordinary amount of comforting. The son and
father spend a lot of time together discussing a
myriad of topics in a
pseudo-intellectual/aristocratic manner, but always
managing to return to the film's favorite topic of
all - sex. And to note, some of this bonding time is
spent without any clothes on. Sometimes this
discussion is interesting, sometimes not.
Okay, so bent on getting dad back into spirits,
said son lassos the purchasing power of money to lure
8 1/2 women to their huge estate in Luxembourg. Yes,
the 1/2 a woman is in a wheel chair. The two
ordinary looking men enjoy their harem,
and that's really about it. Though the film has
little more to offer than sex, little of it is
actually shown, but there is a great deal of nudity.
And, at times the shear oddity of it all is
amusing.
Here's a telling quote from the director, art is
... "there to make us think, through both content and
form. I hope to explore new areas of experience -
which indeed some people find disturbing. Cinema
should be an invigorating, exciting cultural form
that must deal in all the taboo and dangerous subject
matter we demand of other art forms."
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