Review of The Six Wives of Henry Lefay (2009) by Dave C — 23 Jan 2012

I am a fan of Tim Allen. I think he presents a very under appreciated self aware sort of comedy in his off the radar projects that often carries a very subtle appreciation for truly understanding the nature of humanity. His characters are often highly quirky and a bit fanatical, but there is something about his knack for making those characters accessible on a level beyond slapstick comedy that tailors his gifting to be uniquely his.

There are many who will adamantly insist that I am giving the actor too much credit, but I guess it's because in some way I have managed to not only relate to that unique style, but have also managed to appreciate it in a sort of endearing sense. He doesn't come out and wow you, but tends to fly under the radar. And with that carries a certain degree of irony, in that his characters and scenario's also carry an air of feeling self indulged. That is certainly the case here as a lone man with an uncanny ability to romance every woman he comes in contact with. As one says, despite being married 6 (or is it 7... depending on how you count), he emoddies an impassioned spirit that really, truly believes in a sort of happily ever after version of love. It is this sort of absurdity that marks his films, but it is also the ability to make that sort of scenario somehow and in someway a meaningful commentary on relationship that marks his gifting.

It must be pointed out that Allen simply sets the stage here for the inane circle that becomes the films diatribe between his 6 (or 7) wives in the aftermath of his death. Each of these women believe with equal fervor that, despite the obvious elephant in the room (that he HAS six wives in some form or fashion), that Henry (played by Allen) actually loved them on some deep and particular level. And somehow we come to believe that with them along the way. It is Elisha Cuthbert's character that plays the counterpart here as the daughter who finds herself left cleaning up his mess while at the same time trying to figure out what it means for her to fall in love with ONE man. Juxtaposed against each other, these two scenarios meet up in a sort of crazy, slapstick madcap comedy of a situation that really becomes the heart of the film (reminds me of Crazy, Stupid Love in a way, although that film was much better).

The movie jumps from the emotional to the absurd, from sappy to smart, from humor to insight on an ever growing sense of whim. And I'm not sure it helps the film to stay grounded as much as it would like. It wants to build up to one completely outrageous moment surrounding the funeral (where the funeral director finally loses it on all of them), but it may prove itself a little too scatterbrained in the end. However, it has enough of all those things to keep it moving forward, and within it's obvious sexist and almost offensive caricature of women that shows them completely enslaved to one mans fantasy of being a sort of "god", we actually are given a chance to believe that Henry in some way truly does believe in love and that there truly is a desire to find something meaningful in the mess. And in a very weird sense the film moves to empower this group of women, anchored by Cuthbert's character, and redeem an unredeemable situation. It sure does seem crazy, but Allen's gift is in somehow making that work.