Blume in Love

I can't profess to have seen any other of Writer/Director Paul Mazurksy's films from the seventies, but after enjoying 1973's BLUME IN LOVE, I'll be exploring the rest of his films.

As a fan of TV's "The Goldbergs", I can only picture George Segal as the grandpa, so its a shock to see him 43 years ago as a handsome leading man!

Segal plays divorce lawyer Stephen Blume, who finds himself in need of his own advice when he's caught cheating on his wife Nina, well played by eclectic seventies actress Susan Anspach (Five Easy Pieces, Play it Again Sam).

When Nina moves on to a relationship with country western singer Elmo (a pitch perfect Kris Kristofferson in his fifth acting role), Blume finds himself battling jealousy.

With each day, Blume realizes he's madly in love with his ex-wife, who he longs to get back.

Mazursky fills the film with reality. These people talk like real folks, not in movie cliches.

Blume himself is deeply flawed, but Segal makes him so likeable that its impossible not to root for him.

Mazursky frames the entire film with Blume's visit alone to Venice, where we see flashbacks of his and Nina's trips there for their honeymoon.

Shelley Winters is funny as a wife who comes in and out of Blume's active client list more than once and Mazursky himself has a nice turn as Blume's partner in the law firm.

Marsha Mason nails her first film role as Blume's friend with benefits, four years before her breakout in "The Goodbye Girl". There's great depth in her performance as a woman who knows the shelf life of her romance is short.

Smart, slow, funny and not interested in a traditional romantic comedy/drama story flow, the film thrives with Segal front and center. He's a terrific actor and holds your attention every moment he's on screen. The arc of his interactions with Elmo is hilarious to watch.

A seventies classic, Blume gets an appreciative B.