Pink Asparagus

8/10

I wish I was a Lesbian!

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The Philadelphia Story walked so Luv could run! Luv 1967 is a laugh out loud hilarious woman-led romcom. As a huge Elaine May stan, I watched this in the hopes that it would lift my spirits and it delivered so effectively that for the entirety of the film, I could hardly remember what I was ever upset about in the first place. Milt, a depressed manchild ready to commit suicide, runs into his old friend Harry, an arrogant man looking to unload his wife on the next single man he can find. Harry forces Milt to come home to meet his wife, Ellen. Before Milt can protest, Harry speeds away on his Vespa to visit his young mistress, Linda. From here on out, the movie is a melody of captivating slapstick, sharp man-shaming and unconventional insight into the perils of long term love. 

From pulling a knife on her lover at the amusement park to presenting her sexual dissatisfaction with her husband on a graph, Elaine May brings an iconic bitter presence to an otherwise goofy remarriage plot. She drops the film’s primary contention while smoking a cigarette on her porch: “I wish I was a lesbian”. With Harry and Milt then exemplifying the worst traits of straight men, the movie reinforces how horrible it is to exist when your dating pool is composed primarily of straight dudes. Though Luv was directed by Clive Donner, it feels in many ways like one of May’s own films. 

I would highly recommend this if you’re looking for an hour and a half of easy going dark humour. 

See iconic Elaine May scenes below.