The Women (2008)
May 13th 2010 10:54
The Women (2008) Movie Poster
In this 2008 film directed & written by Diane English based on the stage play by Clare Boothe Luce, Meg Ryan stars as Mary Haines, whose picture perfect life begins to unravel after best friend Sylvia Fowler (played with icy precision by Annette Bening) discovers Mary's husband is having an affair with the spritzer girl from Sax's 5th Ave.
Played with vindictive, seductive pleasure, Eva Mendez sizzles as the younger woman, who has stolen Mary's husband. The scene between her and Sylvia is great, reminiscent of two cats sizing each other up over who is in the wrong yard. The distructive distractions of Edie's four young daughters running amok in Sax's perfume displays is a clever way to bring in comedic relief in a scene that could easily have been difficult to bring to a close.
Following Mary through the disintergration of her marriage, and the loss of everything she believed in, The Women revolves around Mary, Sylvia, soon to be mother of 5 Edie (Debra Messing) and author Alex (Jada Pinkett-Smith).
The film has some real laugh out loud moments, including the introduction of Alex's supermodel girlfriend, who after being offended that she is being objectified is next seen eating a napkin.
Eyeing off the competiton at Sax 5th Ave
Debra Messing as the artistically free Edie really steals the show from the veteran film actresses in the cast, although it is easy to see that her direction in the role could simply have been "You're Grace Adler, pregnant with baby number 4, and go."
12 year old India Ennenga who plays Ryan's daughter Molly in the film more than holds her own against the other cast members. The role of daughter on the verge of rebellious womanhood could have been a cliched but there is such an innocence brought to the character that those watching feel nothing but sympathy for this child, whose world is changing.
The film is littered with some fantastic cameo appearances, including Bette Midler's sassy Hollywood agent at the Health Farm Mary retreats to when life and betrayal become too much to handle.
Cloris Leachman who plays Ryan's housekeeper is another gem in this film. It's a shame when actresses of her calibre find themselves relegated to supporting cameos. She is brilliant in the role of the Housekeeper who claims never to be involved in the families she works for, yet finds herself up to her eyeballs in the drama.
Candice Bergman as Ryan's mother is another under-used yet brilliantly cast performer. The scene of her in the hospital recouperating from "refresher" surgery is hysterically funny, and the ease with which she delivers her lines is the very definition of a true star.
The funniest moment of the film however, is shared by it's four leading ladies. As Edie lies in her hospital bed, birthing her fifth child, Pinkett-Smith's performance as the queasy Alex has to be seen to be believed. I can't remember a time I've laughed that hard. While Edie pushes, the other cast members deliver quick-witted lines including "I'm never having a baby, stitch me up right now."
If I had to pick a fault with this film, it's biggest issue is it's predictability. From the opening sequence you know exactly how the end of the film is going to play out; woman loses husband to hussy, woman finds self, woman husband wants wife back, hussy moves on to someone else.
The Women, is a great easy watch. It doesn't require thought, and it won't leave you pondering it's outcomes for days to come. If you're looking for a light-hearted comedy about friendship, following your dreams and being true to yourself, you can't go past this 2008 release.
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