Seven Girlfriends - Stylish and Comfortable Women's Fashion Apparel for Casual Wear, Work, and Special Occasions

Tim Daly's understated, warm, charming, womanizing veneer shines through in this richly entertaining indie. Paul Lazarus, director of many memorable "Friends" and "Mad About You" episodes, tackles his first feature film here, yet it never really feels like a TV movie. Although his tearful outburst on Mimi Rogers' doorstep was a bit painful to watch, few of Daly's acting limitations come to the surface in "Seven Girlfriends," partly because it's the perfect role for him. But, the real stars are the women he "revisits" on his path of self-discovery. First stop is his first girlfriend, played by Rogers, and all things are not as they first appear. As the uncomfortable discussion unfolds, you really begin to feel for the characters and the movie hooks you. I am a huge fan of "High Fidelity" and comparisons seem almost inevitable, but this film is not the same. It is far from acerbic, but far from sweet, too. My guess is that more guys can relate to Daly's understated charmer than to John Cusack's brooding slacker. Though "Girlfriends" is hardly brilliant like "Fidelity," it's still a nicely told little tale of soul-searching. While the story almost begs to be nothing more than a nonstop collection of cliches, the skillful dialogue and actors keep that from happening. I think that's what I like most about "Seven Girlfriends" - during my entire first viewing, I kept thinking I shouldn't like this movie, since it's not exactly loaded with original ideas, yet everything is executed here with a realistic, understated elegance that I just didn't expect. I'd call it a "guilty pleasure," but it deserves to be more. NOTE TO MOVIE BUFFS: The DVD has some interesting commentary by Daly and Lazarus that brings to light many interesting problems in making a low-budget movie.