Why Dudley Moore would want to cheat on his attorney wife Ann Reinking goes beyond comprehension, but why he would reject musician Amy Irving is another question. Reinking balances a successful career and a happy marriage, and is very grounded as far as being the perfect wife, a seemingly great employer and obviously a terrific mother to be. On the other hand, easy going Irving is equally as wonderful. In any other situation, these two women would be the greatest of friends, but here, the only things they have in common is that they are both married to Dudley Moore and both about to give birth to his children.
From the synopsis, you'd think that Moore is the snake of all snakes, but he's a basically decent guy who makes one childish decision; Getting involved where he shouldn't and risking hurting two wonderful people in the process. It's obvious to me that in the feminist society we live in now, a comedy like this would end with him being strung up by his balls, but in this, it's difficult thanks to a witty screenplay, to not understand how he got into such a precarious predicament. The script makes it clear that it is not man bashing, but simply explaining how love really is a much confusing thing, and that if society wasn't so uptight, it would see the ideals of love, fidelity and commitment quite differently than the puritanical views brought over on those European ships.
Through the hands of director Blake Edwards, this situation is explored in a way where you know he's eventually going to be exposed, but in a sense, you feel sorry for him, yet want the two women to end up liking each other. A very funny scene has the women at their gynecologist's office at the same time and severe nurse Lu Leonard at first bewildered then morally outraged over Moore's involvement with two women. He only gets married to Irving illegally because he has no real choice, forced into a corner, and at the wedding, almost exposed by the sudden presence of Reinking's parents who obviously adore him. Then there's Moore's best pal, Richard Mulligan, who at first warns him to tread cautiously, but slyly palm slaps him over his involvement with two gorgeous women.
I remember Moore's Golden Globes acceptance speech where he looked bewildered over winning for a part he obviously didn't think required much of a challenge, but he's very funny in this, and at the time, was the hottest comic outside of Eddie Murphy working in film. If I had to work for an attorney, I'd pick one like Reinking who never looses her cool in the office, even when barged with phone calls and office visits, all the while simply trying to settle into her day. Irving's character isn't as well developed as Moore's or Reinking's, but she does a great job with the material that she's given.
I give this an A for uniqueness in that it doesn't make a cheating husband a villain or cad, but simply someone who had a brain fart when confronted with a wonderful woman whom he could really talk to, when unlike other husbands, already had that waiting for him at home. It's the level headed attitude of the lack of finger pointing and perfect timing combined with the intelligence and likability of all three characters that makes this work, giving this a nice ability to comment on the state of relationships of men and women which hasn't seen any improvement (and has in fact worsened) in the 32 years since this was first seen in the theaters.
From the synopsis, you'd think that Moore is the snake of all snakes, but he's a basically decent guy who makes one childish decision; Getting involved where he shouldn't and risking hurting two wonderful people in the process. It's obvious to me that in the feminist society we live in now, a comedy like this would end with him being strung up by his balls, but in this, it's difficult thanks to a witty screenplay, to not understand how he got into such a precarious predicament. The script makes it clear that it is not man bashing, but simply explaining how love really is a much confusing thing, and that if society wasn't so uptight, it would see the ideals of love, fidelity and commitment quite differently than the puritanical views brought over on those European ships.
Through the hands of director Blake Edwards, this situation is explored in a way where you know he's eventually going to be exposed, but in a sense, you feel sorry for him, yet want the two women to end up liking each other. A very funny scene has the women at their gynecologist's office at the same time and severe nurse Lu Leonard at first bewildered then morally outraged over Moore's involvement with two women. He only gets married to Irving illegally because he has no real choice, forced into a corner, and at the wedding, almost exposed by the sudden presence of Reinking's parents who obviously adore him. Then there's Moore's best pal, Richard Mulligan, who at first warns him to tread cautiously, but slyly palm slaps him over his involvement with two gorgeous women.
I remember Moore's Golden Globes acceptance speech where he looked bewildered over winning for a part he obviously didn't think required much of a challenge, but he's very funny in this, and at the time, was the hottest comic outside of Eddie Murphy working in film. If I had to work for an attorney, I'd pick one like Reinking who never looses her cool in the office, even when barged with phone calls and office visits, all the while simply trying to settle into her day. Irving's character isn't as well developed as Moore's or Reinking's, but she does a great job with the material that she's given.
I give this an A for uniqueness in that it doesn't make a cheating husband a villain or cad, but simply someone who had a brain fart when confronted with a wonderful woman whom he could really talk to, when unlike other husbands, already had that waiting for him at home. It's the level headed attitude of the lack of finger pointing and perfect timing combined with the intelligence and likability of all three characters that makes this work, giving this a nice ability to comment on the state of relationships of men and women which hasn't seen any improvement (and has in fact worsened) in the 32 years since this was first seen in the theaters.