Comedian-turned-director Sandy Bates (Woody Allen) is a very successful filmmaker, whose comedies have audiences rolling in the aisles all over the world. But Bates has a serious side. When he makes a serious drama, it is poorly received-mostly because the audience and the critics want only comedy from him. Bates seeks solace, without much success, from the three woman in his life - Dorrie (Charlotte Rampling), Isobel (Marie-Christine Barrault) and Daisy (Jessica Harper). Bates is invited as the main attraction at a weekend film seminar at an out-of-town hotel. There he will encounter a powerful lady film critic, babbling autograph-seeking film buffs and film executives. Their almost common cry, ''I liked you when you made funny movies, not all this other stuff.''