asafoetidabaumgartner
The standard formula for a feature film: Protagonist + antagonist + plot point one
->
changed protagonist + what do I do now? + antagonist
->
protagonist + do the wrong thing + antagonist
->
protagonist + Aha! + antagonist
->
resolution of sorts.is okay as far as it goes, but "What Women Want" demonstrates that a flick can follow the formula and still fail to succeed! The problem is that the audience has to care about the protagonist and the antagonist. I didn't give a damn about Mel Gibson's problem with being passed over in favor of Helen Hunt at the ad agency he works for. So, when he nigh onto electrocutes himself and finds he now can hear women's thoughts--well, it was an interesting concept, but, apparently, once a schmuck, always a schmuck. He discovers his ability enables him to be attractive to women, so he puts the make on the coffee barista lady (Marisa Tomei) and then drops her without a second thought. It gives him a window into his daughter's world (predictable subplot). But, in the thing that is most important to him, viz., his job status, it enables him to steal Helen Hunt's ideas, which ends up getting her fired. Later, he repents and scurries about trying to set things right. I was so repelled by his opportunistic appropriation of his boss's ideas, that I actually couldn't bear to watch it, so I fast forwarded over some of the scenes (a luxury one does not get in a cinema). I didn't like him. I didn't care about him. So, I didn't care about him getting religion in the final reel. I felt sorry for Helen Hunt (time was, I would have paid to watch her read a telephone book--remember those?), but I was glad I decided not to watch him destroying her self-confidence.It seemed that the writers of "What Women Want" were enamored of their characters, but they really didn't care about them. They manipulated the characters like puppets for formulaic effect. All too mechanical for my taste.In the end, Gibson is supposed to be a changed guy, but a) I didn't believe it and b) I didn't care.
Python Hyena
What Women Want (2000): Dir: Nancy Meyers / Cast: Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei, Bette Midler, Lauren Holly: Effective comedy about understanding genders. Mel Gibson stars as a creative executive. His mother was a showgirl so he has always been surrounded by women. He is demoted at work in favor of Helen Hunt who immediately sets upon advertizing for women. He arrives home to find his daughter and boyfriend huddled on the coach. He dances in a drunken stupor until he accidentally electrocutes himself in the bathtub. The suicidal aspect halts the humour but the biggest issue regards the unexplained mystery of the whole incident. Gibson does a wonderful job reacting to the voice thoughts of women and then using it not only to his advantage, but also to gain greater understanding. Hunt is not the typical romantic interest either. Supporting roles are cardboard including Marisa Tomei as an ex- girlfriend who must live with a lie. Bette Midler also appears although more would have been great. Lauren Holly was at her best in Dumb and Dumber, but here she is merely done in by a cardboard role. Directed by Nancy Meyers who made the miserable remake of The Parent Trap. Thankfully she doesn't stoop that low here. She has fun with the gender theme in this film. Strong theme regarding communication, which is the key in finding out what women want. Score: 7 / 10
SnoopyStyle
Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson) is a womanizing ad executive specializing in T&A for men. He thinks he's on top of the world. His ex-wife is getting remarried, and he's expecting to be promoted. The problem is his boss Dan (Alan Alda) is losing accounts for women. So Dan hires outsider Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt) as his superior. Meanwhile his daughter Alex (Ashley Johnson) is staying with him for 2 weeks while her mother honeymoons. Then he accidentally electrocutes himself and hits his head in the bathroom. When he wakes up, he finds that he can read women's mind.Nancy Meyers may know the mind of a woman, but I don't know what she thinks Mel Gibson's character is doing. He is going crazy for no reason. First if she wants to have a men's man, why would she have him drink red wine, or watch men's gymnastics? If a straight man lands on men's gymnastics, he would switch channel as quickly as possible. And while it's great that he listens to ol' Blue Eyes, why is he dancing like Fred Astaire? And why does he go crazy hearing women's thoughts? He's completely overacting, and Nancy Meyers shouldn't encourage it. It is not funny. It's just stupid. He's acting like a BITCH....or MITCH.And he has to go to a shrink to realize that reading minds is a superpower. All of a sudden, he's an idiot and a schizo. If you can get pass this, Mel calms down and the movie improves. But then the final dialog is so clunky, that it made me wince. I understand what Meyers is trying to do by switching the gender roles. But a guy would never say that to a woman. So why should Helen Hunt say that to Mel Gibson?
fariduddin-k
I personally like romantic comedies and i have watched a whole lot of them, i watched this movie with out any expectations and was pleasantly surprised, even though the story was like been there seen that kind.Five minutes in to the movie there was a smile on my face, there were some comedy scenes which made you laugh-out loudly and acting by Mel Gibson was carefree and charming, while Helen Hunt had not much to do. I wish the father-daughter relationship angle was explored more but overall i would give it a six.Nice movie if you want to relax & forget your worries for a while. Escapist Cinema. My recommendation is watch it. This movie has been added to my collection.
AD
