Once Is Not Enough is a film that doesn’t have a cohesive story to tell. It offers “scandalous” and “shocking” ideas but doesn’t put the effort into how to execute them—or what to do once it gets there. There’s no sugarcoating it: this film is a chaotic mess, darting wildly between genres without landing anywhere satisfying. By the end, important actions happen off-screen, and extreme coincidences try to tie the plot together, but they can’t escape the mess. It teeters briefly between the erotic romance promised by its poster (which lasts all of two minutes), a grounded comeback story about a once-successful producer marrying a wealthy woman to improve his daughter’s life, and a bizarre soap opera about that daughter having to choose between a man who reminds her of her father or her actual father. Yes, you read that correctly. If the terrible plot ideas weren’t enough, the film’s disjointed tone and narrative sure are.
The script is hopelessly scattered, shifting focus constantly and introducing a parade of side plots that go nowhere—like the one involving Karla and David. A few early scenes—such as the sharp banter between the producer and his wealthy bride-to-be—show a glimmer of promise, but these moments are buried under a mountain of unfunny jokes and insufferable characters. Brenda Vaccaro’s Oscar-nominated performance only adds to the frustration. Her character feels like a dated, male-conceived idea of a “strong” woman—one whose entire identity revolves around bragging about the men she’s slept with. Vaccaro’s loud, over-the-top delivery seems meant to be funny, but instead it creates a character so obnoxious that even the damaged protagonist would want nothing to do with her.
Even if the film managed to avoid its irritating characters and scattered storytelling, it still couldn’t escape the revolting father-daughter dynamic at its core. Deborah Raffin, playing the beleaguered protagonist, does her best to inject some charm into a role that’s more punishing than anything else. But no amount of skill could make her character’s grotesque actions and motivations remotely believable. Saddled with this thankless task, Raffin deserved far better than the eighth billing she received. By the time the film’s final act rolls around, it wraps up with a series of lazy, convenient resolutions, revealing Once Is Not Enough to be a soap opera with no idea how to tie its own knots.
Ultimately, Once Is Not Enough starts with potential but collapses into an incoherent disaster. Even though it tries to wrap up with some sense of closure, it leaves the viewer feeling empty. With unlikable characters, a nonsensical plot, and no real emotional payoff, this film proves that once is definitely more than enough.