Shampoo (1975) * 1/2

Directed by:  Hal Ashby

Starring:  Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Tony Bill, Lee Grant, Jack Warden, George Furth, Carrie Fisher

Warren Beatty must have seen a lot of himself in George, a Beverly Hills hair stylist who has bedded numerous women.   As Shampoo opens, he is in the midst of negotiating through three affairs as well as trying to obtain funding so he can open his own shop.    Those expecting a zany romantic comedy will be disappointed, as will those who admire the political backdrop of Nixon's first election in November 1968.    Why does Shampoo take place during the eve of Nixon's election?   Is there a connection between these events and Nixon?    None that I can see.    What we are left with is a movie with a ton of unfulfilled promise.

We meet George in the throes of coitus with Felicia (Grant), a fiftyish wife of rich tycoon Lester (Warden), with whom George hopes will invest in his business while keeping his affair with his spouse a secret.    George's other girlfriend is Jill (Hawn), a struggling actress who will soon be offered a chance to shoot a movie in Egypt.   She isn't keen on going to Egypt, mostly because she doesn't want to leave George behind, but we know she should go.   But, George is really in love with his former flame Jackie (Christie), who happens to be Lester's kept side piece.    So, George will have to keep both affairs quiet from Lester and keep the women from knowing about each other.   This is easier said than done, especially since all will be at a political dinner later that night.    This is all more fun in theory than in practice.    Shampoo is lifeless.   We watch George's self-destruction before our very eyes, but we don't care that much. 

This is a talented cast indeed, and Lee Grant won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this film while Warden was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.    These are the two best performances in Shampoo, both showing a certain amount of dignity and depth which the others don't show.    Warden is a ruthless tyrant over his money, but with his women and even George he has kind of a soft spot, and this allows him to be human.    The biggest trouble with Shampoo is how dull George is.    He doesn't appear to have much going for him other than his looks, and he isn't given anything of interest to say.    He's the type of himbo the women should be kicking out of bed after sex instead of investing their heart in.    At least the movie gets the ending right, in which George winds up alone as his love is riding away with another on the way to the airport.

Christie and Hawn are way too smart to play this dumb and to fall for a dullard like George.    I almost neglected to mention Carrie Fisher as Felicia's rebellious daughter who also does some rumpy pumpy with George.    The only fascinating thing about George is how he can keep his pecker working after all of this sex.    The rest is just potentially funny stuff that leads nowhere.