"The Man Who Loved Women" is a Blake Edwards production from the writing, producing to the directing of the film. It's not as good as his previous films but has his mark nonetheless.

Burt Reynolds stars as David Fowler a successful sculpter who is in analysis with Marianna (Julie Andrews). It seems David is all confused over his art and sex life. She tells his story in flashback following David's somber funeral attended by a bevy of beauties all of whom were apparent past conquests by him.

In analysis, David recalls his past life and the women he has known. Beginning with "Legs" (Tracy Vaccaro) he recalls liaisons with eight different women and his relationship with his single mother. The women, Louise (Kim Basinger) a nymphomaniac, Agnes (Marilu Henner) a poor little rich girl, Courtney (Cynthia Sykes) a prostitute he reforms, as well as Nancy (Jennifer Edwards), Janet (Sela Ward), Svetlana (Ellen Bauer), and Enid (Denise Crosby) whom he encounters at various times.

David it seems was a love 'em and leave 'em type who could not commit to a long relationship. During an Earth quake, David "discovers" Marianna and begins a relationship with her. He proposes but she doesn't want to sacrifice her career. She goes off to Europe for three weeks and.......................

It's a mystery as to why Blake Edwards cast Reynolds in the lead. They had a rocky relationship in the past and apparently didn't get along. I don't think that Andrews was enamored of buddy Burt either. Reynolds seemed out of his element in this role. Gone are the wiseacre asides of "Smokey and the Bandit" only to be replaced by the neurotic David Fowler. It's also hard to imagine him as a world famous artist.

There are some funny moments in the film. In particular, Reynolds romp with Kim Basinger the wife of rich Texan Roy (Barry Corbin) where Burt gets trapped in a closet with a dog and a tube of Crazy Glue. Otherwise it's just another tale of the rich, spoiled and famous.

I enjoyed the Truffaut film made six years prior, and it is vastly superior to this pseudo-film. This one rings almost completely false, except for the lust of Burt Reynolds, which is highly believable. Other than that quality, the film has little to offer. What a waste of talent. Julie Andrews should have stayed with Disney. Marylou Henner had rotten luck with her big screen role cholces, and the rest of the cast is highly forgettable. One could fall asleep after twenty minutes of this movie and wake up five minutes before it ends, and you would have missed nothing. Don't waste your time with this sleep-inducing dialogue.

In the style of STARTING OVER, Burt took on another romantic lead in 1983's THE MAN WHO LOVED WOMEN, which starred Reynolds as a confirmed bachelor whose obsession with the opposite sex has driven him into therapy with a female shrink of course (Julie Andrews in a low-key performance). Though not as good as his performance in STARTING OVER, Reynolds does exude a great deal of charm in this film and get solid support from Andrews, Marilu Henner, and in an early and very amusing role, Kim Basinger as the undersexed trophy wife of a wealthy Texan (Barry Corbin)who likes her sex with an element of danger. This comedy that was co-written by Blake Edwards and his own psychiatrist is worth a look.