kaleykriminger
I saw this movie like 3+ years ago, and I don't really remember a lot about it, but I remember it was great (probably)
thesar-2
Believe it: She-Devil was my first introduction to
Meryl Streep. And say what you will about this movie, I really liked her in this.She isn't just an artist. She is thee artist in Hollywood. From this viewing or many, MANY, more when I was a child, she appears to have taken this role very seriously. Much like when I watched Megan Mullally perform live as Karen Walker at a taping of Will & Grace. Both Karen, and Streep's Mary Fisher are silly roles, and yet they're treated professionally.I appreciate that. And the movie.Now, far from perfect – and I'm not even speaking of the terrible FX (SEE: the house blow up and how Roseanne Barr is nowhere near that,) it's a fun watch. It's fun that Barr's Ruth is not Barr's normal role, like in her – at the time, future – role on her hit TV show. I liked how she had a plan of revenge, or more accurately justice, and didn't have to stoop to lowbrow "humor" as Melissa McCarthy has to do today. In fact, I would back this Ruth over any of McCarthy's ladies I've seen on screen.I digress. Housewife Ruth's husband cheats on her with famed romance novelist, Mary and she devotes her time to tearing down the things that he states mean the most to him.That's it, for the premise, at least. There are a lot of funny moments, good secondary characters, and Maria Pitillo, who I recently reviewed in 1998's Godzilla, and oddly dropped off the Hollywood map 5 years ago. Anyways, I liked how it wasn't straight forward for Ruth. She grew as a person and had to continually improvise and adapt for her plan to work.And Streep's Mary, was a fun watch, especially when you can see she's not the dumb blonde she mostly portrays. Note: the glasses push-up.Sure, it's predictable and some scenes are pretty far-fetched, but it was fun when I was growing up with this as it is today. I liked the soundtrack, some of the lines and the relationships Ruth makes during her journey. And I definitely understand more of what they were saying now, than I did as a kid. Totally recommended.
lambiepie-2
For those reviewing this film who are putting down Rosanne Barr, the truth is that she was the PERFECT cast for this film, as was Meryl Streep. Where it went wrong was the script and direction. Based on the book and series The Life and Loves of A She-Devil; the Americanization of this film was wrong. It went for laughs. This was NOT a funny subject.The original series was engrossing and you felt for the fat, really ugly suburban neglected wife at the end. She slowly and methodically got her crappy husband back. To be honest, Roseanne could have been even more fatter and uglier in the beginning; and her transformation to the 'she-devil' over the years could have been more dramatic. They did not let Roseanne BE Roseanne in this. If they did, she would have mop the floor with this role.When I heard that Roseanne was cast for this film against Meryl Streep, what a good contrast and choice! Meryl was great! Old enough, pretty enough, vapid enough, spoiled enough - but then again, Meryl wasn't allowed to be... Meryl! She was phenomenal in transitions back then and needed that here if the script was serious.Bagley was a good choice for the crap husband; but Eric Roberts would have been devilishly better if they kept with the seriousness of the book and BBC series.I saw the TV series first, and week by week it kept me riveted back then. Then read the book and by that time, this film was being done. When I saw the film (on cable) finally, I was pretty ticked. The casting was right for all, the script was horrid.Maybe someone in America needs to look at the book again soon, and this time do it with the seriousness it was. Yeah, you'll initially hate the she-devil, but you'll hate the folks around her more and at some point start rooting for her as she climbs UP through the muck of her boring life, of letting herself go thinking her life was fine and it was not, and her adulterous thoughtless, degrading husband.
ravi-gorowala
Meryl Streep as an actress is in a league of all time greats and a legend in her lifetime. In She Devil (and this is a must watch movie ) she has performed a role at odds with her persona with grace and panache.The fast aging author unhappy without a man in her life is played to perfection. The scene in which Meryl Streep is just getting out of bed and mistakes the dog licking her toes for the man in her life is exceptionally well played.She uses her fully clothed behind to communicate the frustration so exceedingly well it is a scene which stays firmly etched in the mind.It is great to see the movie breaking typecasts and stereotypes and unravels like a fairy tale the female version of David taking on Goliath.
AD
