Mistral's Daughter (1984)

In 1925, a young girl (Stefanie Powers) from the country arrives in Paris with aspirations to be an artists' model. She falls in love with a self centered struggling painter (Stacy Keach) but she has a rival in a rich American heiress (Lee Remick) who sees the artists' potential and who is determined to make him her life's work. Based on the 1982 novel by Judith Krantz about 3 generations of women revolving around a self absorbed artist and directed by Kevin Connor and Douglas Hickox. Trash ... and 8 hours of it. It's based on a book by Judith Krantz, so you know it's trash going in but it could have been more fun than it is if it didn't take itself so damn seriously. One can put up with the hideous dialog (someone actually says"I never knew it could be like this!" after sex) if it weren't all so solemn. This isn't Ibsen! You know it's already gone off the tracks when Stacy Keach first appears as the Mistral of the title. This is a charismatic artist that has women obsessing over him their entire lives. If he had been played by, say, Kirk Douglas possibly it might have had a chance but Stacy Keach? Hardly a chick magnet. He doesn't even bother with a French accent and since a major portion of the cast are played by French actors, it makes it even worse. Even Stefanie Powers tries a French accent, badly but at least she tries.  The large cast includes Timothy Dalton, Kristin Scott Thomas, Stephane Audran, Joanna Lumley, Robert Urich, Alexandra Stewart, Ian Richardson, Jonathan Hyde and Caroline Langrishe.