Product: Sextette (1978)
Rating: 5.0
Marlo, remember that week and a half when you were a widow?
Sextette tells the story of Marlo Manners, played by Mae West, who is in London to marry her sixth husband. Sir Michael Barrington, played so ably by Timothy Dalton, will be Marlo's sixth husband. Oh yes, they do get married--but after the wedding ceremony the press, Marlo's Hollywood agent Dan Turner and a cast of what seems like thousands all pester Marlo and Michael. They will not leave them alone to enjoy their wedding night. The plot is indeed thin and rather silly; but Sextette keeps your attention with its campy qualities and outlandish scenarios. The subplots poke fun at whirlwind courtships and Hollywood itself--excellent!Before the wedding night can begin, Marlo faces pressure to wine and dine a Russian diplomat so that he can have one last fling with her in exchange for his "yes" vote on an international accord. Of course, this subplot couldn't stop at that--this Russian diplomat would have to be one of Marlo's five ex husbands, too! Marlo's obligations don't end there--she must do screen tests in her honeymoon suite directed by another ex played wonderfully by Ringo Starr. Sir Michael Barrington also has a burden; he must prove to the public that he likes women after there is an honest misunderstanding during a television interview Sir Michael gives to Rona Barrett. To complicate matters even further, people hunt to find Marlo's memoirs tape which goes missing; this could harm Marlo's image if the press were to capture it.The subplots explore whirlwind courtships and the divorces that are obtained even faster than the courtships ever were. At one point Marlo's agent asks her if she remembered "that week and a half when (she) was a widow." Marlo remembers--and she did mourn the loss of her husband, too. Sure, she played the piano to forget her pain--but "only the black keys."The cinematography shines strongest in the opening scenes when the wedding procession arrives at the hotel; and the scenes filmed on top of the hotel are well done, too. The choreography of every scene in the hotel gymnasium and the international summit reflects careful planning, too. The song and dance numbers are particularly well choreographed.There are a few songs in this movie although I can't call it a "true-blue" musical. Marlo sings a rendition of "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen" to a young athlete training in the hotel gymnasium. "Hooray For Hollywood" and "Love Will Keep Us Together" show forethought as well. Unfortunately, most of the other songs are cute but forgettable.There are numerous cameos to spice up the film even further: Look for George Hamilton who has a brief role as one of Marlo's ex husbands; a young Regis Philbin playing himself at the very beginning of the movie; Alice Cooper as a waiter and Rona Barrett playing herself as a television news reporter.The DVD does not come with any extras. This disappoints me but it is a minor flaw.I agree with the reviewer who writes that if you like Mae West you'll love Sextette. Fans of campy movies with razor thin plots will also enjoy this movie. This was Mae West's final film. Nevertheless, in Sextette Mae still did what she always did best--delivering punchy one line double-entendres and shimmying all over the screen as self-confident as ever.Hooray for Hollywood!