“10” (1979) ***

When Blake Edwards wasn’t busy making those silly Pink Panther movies, he was doing these personal tangents about how women and men interact.  “10” was his biggest success, and probably his overall best film.  It’s still overlong, and clunky in parts, but there’s enough honest emotion (not to mention big laughs) to make it well worth watching.

Dudley Moore is a composer on the wrong side of forty.  He’s in full-tilt mid-life crisis mode; unhappy in his work, unsatisfied with his girlfriend (Julie Andrews), and making eyes at every piece of ass that walks down the street.  When he sees Bo Derek at a traffic stop, he becomes obsessed with her.  He decides to follow her down to Mexico (where she’s on her honeymoon with Flash Gordon himself, Sam J. Jones) with a wild scheme to get her into bed.

Moore has some good bits like being stung by a bee, drinking coffee while under the effects of Novocain, or trying to walk across the scorching sand barefoot.  The film is funny when following him around as he acts on his outrageous impulses.  It’s less effective when it spends time on Julie Andrews’ shrill girlfriend character.  Since she’s Blake Edwards’ wife, I guess he was forced to give her more and more screen time (which is probably why the original star, George Segal bolted the production and had to be replaced by Moore).  The finale where Moore and Derek eventually get together is kind of predictable and obvious from the get-go, but it’s also bittersweet and appropriate too.  I just wish the coda wasn’t so drawn out.  (READ:  More Julie Andrews bullshit.)

As great as Moore is, the supporting cast is packed with extraordinary talent.  Robert Webber has some nice moments as Moore’s gay songwriting partner, Dee Wallace has a heartbreaking bit as one of Moore’s potential conquests, and Brian Dennehy very nearly steals the show as a sympathetic bartender.  Don (Return of the Living Dead) Calfa has the most fun though as Moore’s sex-crazed neighbor who bangs a constant parade of nude starlets for the benefit of Moore’s telescope.  (The guests at his house party feature a who’s who of ‘70s porn stars.)