This 1972 film by Lina Wertmuller (Seven Beauties, Swept Away) is a wild farce of the Sicilian milieu. Mimi (who is a man) is forced to leave his hometown when he can no longer get work as a result of voting against the local strong arms in a "secret" ballot. In the big city he finds work, but also finds that life there is very much as corrupt as it was at home. He falls in love and has a child by his lover, and when forced to take a job in his hometown again, he must hide his lover and their son from his wife. When he is too tired to please his wife in bed after making love all day to his lover, she becomes pregnant by another man, setting off a chain of events that ultimately lead to a public revenge scene that possibly has no rival. What's even more amazing is that the film manages to portray a complex protagonist in a searing comedy. A must-see, especially if you'd like a lighter view of the same world portrayed in The Godfather. --James McGrath

Average Customer Review: ( 7 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

A well made film of high caliber. Thoroughly enjoyable and remarkably light hearted for an otherwise somber topic. A must for the serious movie buff.

5 of 6 found the following review helpful:

Warning: Standard Version image is cropped into Widescreen Version.Sep 14, 2008
By Thomas L. Boggio
For: The Seduction of Mimi (1972)
Studio: Fox Lorber (A Winstar Company)
DVD Release Date: March 31, 1998

One Star for the DVD: To produce a cheep widescreen version - Fox Lorber Home Video has taken the movie's full frame image version and has cropped off the top and bottom part of the image. Fox Lorber simply removed part of the image just to please those of us who prefer the widescreen format. Many times during the movie the bright light will bleed over into the black cropped bars producing a glowing horizontal line within the black bars.

Five Stars for the Movie: A great movie! I cannot wait to buy a new DVD release of his movie that is Restored, Digitally Re-mastered and presented in its true original aspect ratio. Until then I will just have to settle for this piece of junk DVD transfer that I just paid $31.50 for.

1 of 1 found the following review helpful:

Be Seduced!Aug 04, 2010
By Stefanie Casey (The Cultural Sojourner) "Stef"
A comical and satirical tryst! Delight in Wertmuller's trademark themes of politics and sex. This film adds the differences between Northern and Southern Italy and honor to the mix. The seduction is politically oriented, as you will see with the hilariously, ubiquitous presence of the Mafia. Sicilian concepts of a man and his honor is revealed in Mimi's relationship with his wife, his mistress, his wife's lover's wife, which all somehow become convoluted with politics. Wertmuller, Giannini, and Melato have not reached their heights, but all of the elements of their later masterworks are present in this film.

10 of 16 found the following review helpful:

Mimi or Not Mimi?Jul 14, 2000

After purchasing this DVD, and loving it, I still have a disturbing question: is this the same theatrical release version, which, according to Wertmuller, was criminally cut by New Line Cinema (the original distributor) by up to forty minutes? Do I have to go to Italy to find out?

See all 7 customer reviews on Amazon.com