In Praise of Older Women

George Kaczender's In Praise of Older Women, from Stephen Vizinczey's novel of the same name, is an extremely controversial film. The Canadian version of the MPAA objected to the nudity and explicit simulated sex in the film and would not release it unless Kaczender removed 2 minutes of footage. Kaczender was willing to remove 10 seconds of footage. Eventually, a compromise was reached and 30 seconds were edited out of the film. IPOW was released in 1978 and won 4 "Genie" Awards.

Regardless, IPOW is nothing more than a classier version of the type of film The Asylum would produce in 2014. Tom Berenger, in his second notable film appearance, plays Andras Vayda, a young man who wants to be a professor and is looking for love. Thing is, he doesn't want to get frisky with women his own age. He seems more interested in seducing women who are 15 years his senior or older. Throughout the movie, he has affairs with a number of older women throughout a 12 year period played by the likes of Karen Black, Marilyn Lightstone, Susan Strasburg, Alexandra Stewart and Helen Shaver (who was actually 2 years younger than Berenger was) while an older voice representing him narrates at times.

Despite being nothing more than soft core pornography, there are some good scenes. Alberta Watson, another one of his conquests, plays a cabaret singer dressed in a French outfit who sings a seductive song that piques his interest. Shaver, who won a "Genie" for her character of Ann MacDonald, offers some light comic relief and Black is as solid as ever as Maya, the gateway to Andras' love of cougars. Berenger shows promise as an actor early on but despite his top billing, cedes to the established actresses. The movie also uses the 1956 Hungarian Revolution as a backdrop and then later his time as a professor in Montreal.

While not a great piece of cinema, it is a good film among 1970's erotica and it's elevated by the big names in the cast, present and future. Certainly worth a look for curiosity sake.

I caught this playing constantly on cable TV late at night back in the early 80s. Not much of a plot. It's just about hunky Tom Berenger (who was only 29 when he made this) seducing one older woman after another. That's all it is--nothing else...but not bad for what it is.

The woman themselves are all very beautiful, have nice bodies and (surprisingly) are good actresses--Karen Black and Helen Shaver especially. The only disappointment in the film was there were next to no full frontal nude shots of Berenger. The women show everything but not him and--let's face it--back then he WAS very handsome and had a great body. There are only flashes of his "best parts" and (for some reason) even THOSE were clumsily edited out the last time I saw the pic (in the mid 80s)! If you're gonna do a soft core pic let's see everything.

That aside it was a light, enjoyable sex film--nothing more. I give it a 7.

To be very honest, I can't really disagree with some of the negative reviews out there concerning this film. But every once in a while, some movie appeals to you and deep down you know that it's really not that good. As for this one, I've seen it a few times and I always enjoy it.

The film basically covers all of Berenger's sexual adventures with women who are somewhat older than he is. While he seems to fall deeply in love with them, these relationships don't seem to work out for him.

I really don't know what point this film is trying to make. Berenger's first real intimate relationship with Karen Black ends when he's unfaithful to her, his next one when he goes to Canada to escape turmoil in his country and leaves his rebel woman behind, the third woman is simply frigid and dumps him after he finally gets her off and finally he can't make it work with Helen Shaver.

I simply enjoy the movie. Tom Berenger is my favorite actor and he's very appealing here, as always. On the whole, this film is well acted, Karen Black very good especially. The movie looks good enough, with convincing settings, but I think it was produced on a relatively low budget. It's fairly dramatic at times, especially when he has to leave one girlfriend behind in war ridden Hungary.

This movie ain't spectacular or anything, but I like it.

One quibble; what's with that poster. Seems like a porno flick, definitely not the cover for this film.

Well, this film was made to fill a niche that no longer exists. Like the old B-movies sort of went away when that area fell to television, this film was soft-core before cable channels filled that niche. And, it does so better, having B-list actresses, rather than D-list and former porn actresses. Most of the actresses did really solid work, especially Karen Black, Marilyn Lightstone, and Helen Shaver. Tom Berenger was awkward to the point of being painful to watch, but I doubt that it is due to bad acting. That is almost certainly the director's vision. The dialogue was also painfully awkward, but that only makes sense. The background of the 1956 Hungarian uprising made for some interest as well. The film is intended to be sexy, so consider that when deciding to view this one.

'In Praise of Older Women' is one of those films I first saw on late night tv in the 90's as a teen and I cannot lie. It was definitely strong sexual themes, content that caught my eye. I've never forgotten it, but only by chance do I revisit and find myself appreciating it for other elements now. Largely because it's plot headlined by Tom Berenger goes for gravitas in matters of love and fails spectacularly.

András Vayda (Berenger) a young boy in war torn 1940's Hungary loses his father and is raised solely by his mother. An able go between for American GI's, black market supplies grants him his first taste of female pleasure. Now older he finds young women his age difficult and his search for love, sex turns to the mature set. As his country, world changes before him so does he and it's one romance after another, lessons in heartbreak and moving on.

Watching this now, I was surprised at what we young men used to find arousing. We've come a long way with nudity in cinema and what's on display is relatively tame and in much shorter bursts than I recalled. Though I'm not sure what light to view the young boy's encounter with a prostitute under anymore. Erotic? Fantasy? Distasteful?

When that wasn't occupying my mind it was me trying to keep a straight face. Buying into Tom as an awkward young man (he was nearly thirty here) and a bit when he reveals contemplating suicide if he didn't get the nerve to ask Maya (Karen Black) to have sex. Then later on offering a woman a ceramic ashtray as a gesture of love. What?

My younger self enjoyed the sex, appreciation for older women even if I couldn't grasp the cinematic badness going on, historical elements. The mature me can see 'In Praise of Older Women' is not a great film and bungles many of it's ideas, theme, but still retains an interesting notion or two.