Ready to Wear MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +1 1/2 Content: -3 1/2

Robert Altman's new film, also known as PRET A PORTER, is a satiric look at the world of Paris fashion. Mixed in with real designers are a few of Altman's own creations, bizarre people. Altman shows the jealousies, the promiscuity and the back-stabbing that goes on throughout the fashion industry. Kim Basinger plays Kitty Potter, a dumb blond reporter from Texas who wants to get the "scoop" on the fashion show, so most of the film centers around her stumbling interviews. With appearances by Julia Roberts, Lyle Lovett, Jean Rochefort, Sophia Lauren, Lauren Bacall and many others, READY TO WEAR should be an entertaining film. But the stars' cameos get tiresome and uninventive as the movie grinds on for over two hours with no point. Even fashion designers will probably not enjoy this one.

To make up for the lack of plot, Altman apparently felt it necessary to add an abundance of sexual suggestiveness and nudity. Among the five or so fictional designer couples shown, all of them are having affairs with someone else. Two of the homosexual couples are seeing other people as well, and we see them kissing. The homosexuals are portrayed humorously, but seem to fit in with the rest of the crazy things going on. Several heterosexual couples engage in intercourse and female rear nudity is shown once in these scenes. The nudity is saved for the last five minutes of the film as one designer, in protest of "fashion," offers a new way to walk around - in the nude. About twenty female models are shown on the runway completely naked. The audience is subjected to full frontal and rear female nudity as they very slowly and without shame walk up and down the runway. This comes as a ridiculous and shameful ending to a pointless movie. To round things out, many obscenities and sexually suggestive comments are heard. The only thing this film is "ready" for is the garbage bin.

Preview Reviewer: Greg Wilson
Distributor: Miramax Films, 18 E. 48th St., NY, NY 10017