Film, life and everything in between

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Weekly Review -- Question of empowerment

The Women (2008) -- One would expect that a 21st century look at a story about a woman regaining her life after her husband's affair might represent a healthy affirmation of female empowerment. However, if you are looking for good characterizations, well-explored relationships and sparkling charm peppering all of the above, you have to look elsewhere. Mary (Meg Ryan) has just discovered that her husband is having an affair with Saks sales associate Crystal (Eva Mendes). Through friendships with her girlfriends -- publishing powerhouse Sylvia (Annette Bening), writer Alex (Jada Pinkett Smith) and stay-at-home mother Edie (Debra Messing) -- Mary starts re-discovering herself and her passions, while tending to her daughter Molly's (India Ennenga) unrealistic and media-fed obsessions. The four leads do what they can with the material, but are mostly unable to elevate it to a higher ground. Benning fares the best, with her character going through a very realistic career upheaval, while pondering the sorts of questions many women still grapple with. However, the film gets sidetracked by its very mission to be a new kind of feminist narrative, created by women and for women. It tries so hard to be everything it feels the need to be, that it gets lost within and distracted by its many plotlines, only ever scratching the surface of each. Adding to that problem is the issue of the material being too flimsy to pack any real emotional punch to begin with -- it might be a pleasant viewing fantasy, but it is hazy and forgettable on the whole, not managing to redeem its request for audience's empathy. As far as the 2008 spin on the story goes, the film is too indifferent toward itself to make an impact in terms of being a potential examination of shifting societal norms; just when one thinks the screenplay is starting to delve into its themes in a deeper way, the writing goes back to jokes and surface aesthetics. In the end, The Women is a film that lacks depth and thoughtfulness, and one that the audience should watch solely as a distraction from everyday concerns.

5/10

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