A Guide for the Married Man

1967 comedy

Rating: 15/20

Plot: Inspired by his friend Ed's swinging lifestyle and despite having a very supportive, lovely, and seemingly perfect wife at home, Paul decides he wants to have an affair. His buddy Ed shows him the ropes of adultery, guiding him with a series of rules, taking him on a trial run, and prepping him for a night of cheating.

I had a lot of trouble buying into the idea that Walter Matthau and Inger Stevens would even be married, let alone that Matthau would feel the need to cheat on her. I liked this comedy a lot more than I figured I would. In a lot of ways, it seems like it would have been dated when it came out, the outrageous chauvenism seeming like a product from a much earlier, less enlightened time. However, the flamboyant direction really does a lot to bring this to life and even with the dated fashion and lounge music soundtrack (and that terrible theme song performed by The Turtles), this really has a modern feel. The zippy vignettes and playful style almost dance, appropriate since Gene Kelly directed this thing. The style actually reminds me of a modern sitcom, definitely something from the post-MTV era when nobody has an attention span. One could call a lot of the gags as outdated as Walter Matthau's suits, but there are some witty bits throughout. Still, this movie might be more fun than it is funny. This is comedy for juvenile adult males, but its originality, its swarms of shots of attractive women, and countless fun cameo appearances make it worth a look. A long lustful look.

Special note for Jen: This was not research.