Once is Not Enough

Once is Not Enough, directed by Guy Green in 1975, is a drama film that sparkles with a veneer of glitz and glamour while offering a biting critique of the elite society's moral decline. This Cinematic opulence of excess and decadence engages viewers in the journey of an ambitious woman and her journey through the world of fame, love, and relationships. The movie is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Jacquline Susann, and stars Kirk Douglas, Alexis Smith, and David Janssen in the leading roles.

The story revolves around January Wayne (Deborah Raffin), the naive and impressionable daughter of Mike Wayne (Kirk Douglas), a movie producer who was once in the prime of his Hollywood days. After being hospitalized following a traumatic accident, January returns home to a very different world than the one she was familiar with. Her father, desperate to revive his failing career and fortunes, is now engaged to the wealthy, middle-aged editor, Deirdre Milford Granger (Alexis Smith).

January, who has always adored her father, is plunged into a disquieting new reality as she attempts to navigate her life around her father's fresh nuptial strings. She is torn between adoring the new luxuries her father's marriage brings and loathing his compromising situation. Simultaneously, January embarks on her journey, meeting various people and finding herself entwined in complicated relationships, each one revealing different layers of the materialistic society she's part of.

Kirk Douglas, known for his dynamic, zestful performances, brings a remarkable depth to his portrayal of Mike Wayne. As a formerly successful producer now clinging to his fading star power, Douglas masterfully conveys the desperation and pathos of a man willing to trade his dignity and love for a return to the Hollywood heights. His tenacity and need for validation are the driving force for many of the movie's defining moments.

Alexis Smith, as Deirdre Milford Granger, is captivatingly imperious and perfectly embodies the role of a wealthy editor with a dragon lady persona. She manages to walk the tightrope between her palpable desire to be loved and her adamant insistence on total control, making her character both compelling and complex.

Into this mix steps David Janssen as Tom Colt, a famed, hedonistic writer with a knack for exploiting people and situations for his benefit. Janssen's character adds an intriguing layer to the storyline, encouraging January to break free from her sheltered upbringing and inducing her to question the integrity of those around her.

The underrated Deborah Raffin brings a perceptively innocent perspective to the character of January. Raffin's portrayal of a fragile young woman struggling to make sense of her place in a world of opulence, deceit, and backdoor transactions ensures that audiences connect and empathize with her.

Once is Not Enough, as a movie, brings to the forefront a magnificent blend of romance and reality while shedding light on the emptiness that often hides behind the glamour of high society. While showing the enthralling allure of the high life, it also doesn't shy away from showing its inherent hollowness and transient nature, making it revelatory cinema.

One of the noteworthy aspects of this movie is the richly detailed set that captures 1970s glamour and excess perfectly. The high fashion, the extravagant parties, the lush interiors - all reflect the superficial world of silverscreen stardom and wealth with uncanny accuracy.

In essence, Guy Green's Once is Not Enough offers an unabashed examination of the all-too-human quest for relevance and recognition. With the vivid performances of its stars and its exquisite production design, the film serves as a critique on the crippling undertow of the Hollywood scene, seen from the eyes of an innocent young woman. It offers a unique blend of romance, drama, and a worldly-wise cynic's perspective of society's elite that makes for a compelling watch. All the while, Once is Not Enough masterfully poses one question to its audience - At what cost does one reclaim lost prestige? How much is too much, and when is once really enough? The film doesn't offer simple answers, but couches these questions in scenes of cinematic excess that are as captivating as they are thought-provoking.