"What Women Want" Reviewed by Christian Pyle Directed by Nancy Meyers Written by Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa Starring Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei, and Ashley Johnson Grade: C+
Somehow the whole feminist movement passed Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson) by. He's a cigar-chomping, skirt-chasing, male-chauvinist ad executive who was raised by Las Vegas showgirls (really). But his worldview is shaken when, instead of promoting Nick, his boss (Alan Alda) hires Darcy McGuire (Helen Hunt) to be creative director. Nick, it seems, is behind the times because women now dominate the marketplace. Trying to cope with this strange new world that he has somehow managed to ignore up 'til now, Nick tries leg wax, panty-hose, and mascara, but while he's still a transvestite Nick accidentally electrocutes himself. Rather than killing him or burning off all his hair, the sudden shock gives him the ability to hear what women are thinking. (Apparently "Unbreakable" isn't the only current film with a superhero motif because this women's underwear + electricity = psychic powers equation has the same logic as radiation + spider bite = Spider-man. If only Mel had donned a colorful costume and fought crime as Female Thought-Hearing Lad. Ru Paul could have played the villain. But I digress . . . ).
Nick is surprised to find that most of the women around him think he's a pig. He finds lots of uses for his new ability: giving a coffee shop waitress (Marisa Tomei) the best sex she's ever had, getting closer to his teenage daughter (Ashley Johnson), saving a potential suicide victim, and showing up Darcy at work by proposing her ideas as soon as she thinks of them. But he never counted on falling in love . . .
"What Women Want" is either "classic" (what my wife calls it) or "outdated" (what I call it). For Pete's sake, the soundtrack is dominated by Frank Sinatra songs! "WWW" should have been made forty years ago with Rock Hudson and Doris Day because it has the same "taming of a playboy" plot as "Pillow Talk." Back then, revealing the erotic thoughts of women would have been progressive; now it plays like a sitcom. Screenwriters Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa (who actually work on a sitcom, "The King of Queens") generate some laughs, particularly in the scene where Nick waxes his legs (his reaction: "Why would anyone do that more than once? Why would anyone even do the other leg?"). However, "WWW" doesn't offer any new insights into the complexities of the female psyche. Anyone who's ever watched an episode of "Oprah" knows as much as Nick finds out. If it were all boiled down, What Women Want is to be treated with respect. Aretha Franklin already said it more eloquently, more clearly, and more succinctly.
Although this is only her second feature as a director (the remake of "The Parent Trap" was her first), as a screenwriter Nancy Meyers made a specialty of light, nonthreatening pseudo-feminist films like "Private Benjamin," "Protocol," and "Baby Boom." But I think What Women really Want are movies that don't shy away from controversy or complexity. While I'm glad to see Mel Gibson in something nonviolent for a change, I wish it were a more substantial film.
Bottom Line: This is what women wanted forty years ago.
Traffic Reviewed by Christian Pyle Directed by Steven Soderbergh Written by Stephen Gaghan (based on the miniseries by Simon Moore) Starring Michael Douglas, Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, Erika Christensen, Luis Guzman, and Catherine Zeta-Jones Grade: C+
"Traffic" has the good fortune of going into wide release after receiving Golden Globe nominations and numerous critical top-ten list postings. Without much competition, it will probably do well at the Oscars, but despite good intentions and some impressive moments, "Traffic" fails to achieve its goals.
Rather than centering on a central protagonist, "Traffic" weaves together three major storylines: a) Judge Robert Wakefield (Michael Douglas) becomes the new drug czar while his daughter Caroline (Erika Christensen) becomes a drug addict; b) Mexican cop Javier Rodriguez Rodriguez (Benicio Del Toro) pursues the Tijuana drug cartel and becomes allied with General Arturo Salazar (Tomas Milian), who seeks the same goal for his own reasons; and c) DEA agents Montel Gordon (Don Cheadle) and Ray Castro (Luis Guzman) watch Helena Ayala (Catherine Zeta-Jones) after arresting her drug-dealing husband (Steven Bauer). Director Steven Soderbergh lacks the grace of Robert Altman, but he manages to keep all three storylines running simultaneously without losing the audience.
The primary reason "Traffic" doesn't fully succeed is that it wants to be several different movies: a thought-provoking indictment of the failed "war on drugs," a portrait of addiction, and a gripping crime drama. Perhaps a more talented director than Soderbergh might have been able to pull off this triple threat, but "Traffic" only manages to partially fulfill its goals. The critique of the methods and ideology of the drug war is spotty and often awkward (particularly when minor characters suddenly launch into speeches on subjects like the effect of NAFTA on drug traffic). There's only one drug addict in the movie, which seems odd for an issue-driven film on the Drug Problem, and that one is unsympathetic. Caroline Wakefield comes off as a spoiled brat, and her descent from prep school honor student to junkie whore doesn't elicit the pathos it should. Erika Christensen does nothing to humanize her character.
Its strongest area is the crime drama vein with the parallel stories of Mexican and American cops who pursue the same cartel from different ends of the supply chain. Especially compelling is Javier's plight. An honest cop working within a corrupt system, Javier walks a winding and dangerous road paved with compromises. Benicio Del Toro gives a remarkable performance. A film like this tests the ability of an actor to develop his character with limited screen time. Del Toro communicates more with a pensive look than most actors can with a soliloquy.
Also passing with high marks: Don Cheadle and Michael Douglas. I'm pleased that after so many wonderful supporting performances, Cheadle has gotten name-above-the-title recognition with this film. He has great chemistry with Guzman (who deserves some recognition of his own). I expected Robert Wakefield to be a heavy, but Douglas makes us feel the concern Robert has for his daughter.
In contrast, the challenge of her first substantial role proves that Catherine Zeta-Jones has no acting ability whatsoever. Her character has to go from being a high society wife whose world is overturned to a cop-killing drug dealer. However, Zeta-Jones' performance shows no internal conflict or transformation. She could be one of the worst actors in Hollywood.
In case you haven't guessed, I'm not a Soderbergh fan. Ever since he came on the scene with "sex, lies, and videotape" in 1989, I've dismissed him as pretentious hack. He's the valedictorian of the "Look at me, I'm an auteur" school of filmmaking. (His classmates include Spike Lee and Oliver Stone). This style is characterized by an oppressive directorial presence that often undercuts the effectiveness of the film. In "Traffic," Soderbergh joins the current trend toward monochromatic tints. Douglas' scenes often have a blue tint while Del Toro's are yellow and grainy. Luckily the power of those actors performances is not impeded by the distraction, but the heavily stylized approach seems a poor choice for a film that aspires to realism.
For those who like to play It's Ol' What's His Name, the supporting cast includes Dennis Quaid, Miguel Ferrer, Topher Grace (from "That 70's Show"), Amy Irving. Peter Riegert, Benjamin Bratt, Albert Finney, Salma Hayek, James Brolin, and several real-life senators (including Orrin Hatch, who does not read from "The Exorcist").
Bottom Line: Doesn't deserve most of the Oscars it will win
© 2000 Christian L. Pyle
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