Customer Reviews

In Praise of Older Women

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In this movie, a young Tom Berenger portrays a young man in Post-World War II Hungary who falls in and out of love with numerous older women. His character's infatuation with older women begins as a child during the war, when he loses his virginity to a middle-aged prostitute. From there, he moves to Budapest to go to college, and moves in with an older woman, portrayed by Karen Black. They fall in love with each other. Then the woman's best friend, portrayed by Canadian stage actress and artist Marilyn Lightstone, joins them in social events. Eventually, Ms. Lightstone's character seduces Berenger's character, and in a memorable scene of seduction, she entices him to have sex with her on the living room floor. But Ms. Black's character catches them in the act, and she breaks up with Berenger's character and kicks him out. Berenger then falls in love with a female resistance leader during the 1956 Hungarian Crackdown by Russian troops and tanks. She departs for deep cover, and Berenger's character emigrates to Canada. It is there that he begins a relationship with a woman more closer to his age, portrayed by a young Helen Shaver. Eventually they engage in a erotic strip scene before having sex together. But they end up breaking up also. At the end of the film, Berenger is now a teacher, who sets up a date with a younger female student, and the film ends. The eroticism is very good in this film, but it leaves you wanting more. For me, Marilyn Lightstone, despite her little screen time, stole the spotlight with her eroticism and her sexy body. Helen Shaver shows that she is willing to put out in a movie, also. She would go on to even greater levels of eroticism in the movie "Desert Hearts". Unfortunately, Tom Berenger never lived up to the potential to be a "leading man" actor that this film showed promise of when it was made. Instead, he was confined to character roles, such as in the movie "Gettysburg". But this film gives the viewer a glimpse of what Tom Berenger could have been had mainstream Hollywood had given him his chance to shine.

Oh, for a Time Machine. . .some metaphysical contraption to take me back to the Seventies, when I first saw and enjoyed this cute little movie. Back in those heady days, I was able to lustily envy a young dude who embarks on a series of steamy affairs with attractive women almost twice his age, to gawk and gander while the muscular protagonist sweats and grunts and groans--then collapses exhausted into the nurturing arms of his mature lover.

But, time marches on, and so does my perception. Almost thirty years after its theatrical release, I now watch IN PRAISE OF OLDER WOMEN and subsequently fidget and squirm with discomfort. And that's not because the story is any less intriguing: on the contrary, it's all the more alluring as I wax nostalgia from the distance of middle age. What bothers me--annoys me, actually--is the lack of production quality for this film: from shabby lighting, to mumbling audio, to a musical score that literally makes you reach for the "Mute" button.

But there are other troubling problems. Young Andras Vayda (Tom Berenger) is a young Hungarian with a wandering eye for the older ladies. And Andras does find love (the rascal) in his turbulent, war-torn country--a country desperately trying to break free from Soviet domination. Yet when Andras participates in the ill-fated Hungarian Revolution of 1956, the event is filmed in a sound stage the size of my living room (so much for scale). Forced to flee Hungary, Andras takes his appetite to Montreal, and the trysts continue.

Some of the "older women" include Karen Black, Susan Strasberg, and Helen Shaver. The "mature scenes" were certainly provocative in the Seventies, but are bland by today's standards. Berenger furnishes sufficient "abs of steel" to satisfy female viewers, while the guys catch glimpses of female nudity through all the awful lighting. As a comedy-drama, IN PRAISE OF OLDER WOMEN is passing entertainment, provided the viewer can look past all of its annoying defects.
--D. Mikels

This hard to find movie shows "the promise" of Tom Berenger's career. He was fun to watch as he beds one lady after another. It's also fun to see a sexy movie without a lot of politically correct thought.

As he grows older, each lady has an imapct on his life and brings more aspects of his character into view.

All in all, this is just a fun sexy romp reflecting the times and history.

I know the movie was made almost 30 years ago.However it definately portrayed sexual understanding or lack of it in some cases based on experience and individual maturity.A little far fetched but an entertaining movie.Most men and some women knows someone like the main charachter.

Actually, O. B. Tryggvason, a DVD version of this movie has been released (got mine at Walmart). That's how I got to know this movie. All in all, I think it's quite decent. On contrar, D. Mikels, considering this movie is only rated R (and not other adult categories), I would consider this movie quite steamy even for today's standard.

just what i was expecting from an older movie, qulaity could have been better, but still would recomment to purchase. thank you

I remembered this movie fondly from my youth and had only seen it once. Unfortunately it does not hold up on second viewing. Thin plot consisting of various sexual couplings and not much else. Setting not believable, Berenger miscast, even the musical score is not good. Skip it.

Not only is this review in praise of older women, it is definitely in praise of younger men. I bought this DVD as a gift for my sister in celebration of her 60th birthday - she bought me a VCR copy for my 40th birthday. This is a "guilty pleasure" film and has been since we first saw it, we were in our mid-twenties when this film came out, and found pleasure in Tom Berenger then as now. What a cutie! However, now that I am an "older woman" I find even more pleasure in this film. If only American men viewed older women as European men do. In Praise of Older Women is racy and risque, now it would be rated at least an "R". I'm sure the only reason it escaped being X Rated is that there are no genitalia visibily touching. It leaves little to the imagination but is not vulgar. Any of you older women out there that want a little thrill, try this one. Mr. Berenger did not mind showing off his physic and strutting his stuff throughout much of the film. He had a "six pack" before we even knew what they were! My sisters and I have a girls-night-in every once in a while and this film gets watched every couple of years.

A solid 3 star show with lots to smile about. A fun film set in both funny & not so funny circumstances. The theme of a young man helped out of virginity by an older woman is as old as can be but a whole movie about a man scared of women his own age is priceless. Mind you I have no trouble believing it happens in real life but was surprised it ever happened in reel life.

I'm sure the stars here had a great deal of fun making this show & it, dare we say it "comes out" in their performances. Each individual segment seemed a bit trite to me but the sum of them all was poignant as the credits rolled. There were places the director & writer could have gone wrong & it never happens. I felt they showed what the story required & did not error in what they allowed on screen. This is an adult story & if full nudity bothers you or your distraught by other than missionary coitus you should avoid this.

I would have rated this show higher but these characters did not require much depth. It is still a great fun show & shouldn't be judged to critically or prudishly. Let's make it 3 1/2 stars.

This early Tom Berenger flick is actually quite enjoyable. Playing a Hungarian stud obsessed with satisfying older women, Berenger is thoroughly convincing and charming.
I'm hoping for a DVD release, but I'm not holding my breath.