[e-mail] Review of What Women Want

What Women Want (2000)

Gibson Charm and Style + Effective Premise - Inspiration = Good Effort

[21 November 2004]

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS*** "What Women Want" features a supernatural comedy premise: a chauvinistic magazine executive (Mel Gibson) encounters a freak accident and inherits women's intuition (quite literally), and can perceive the conscience of the women around him. This is one of those dynamite, massively appealing premise, that only requires a decent enough execution to be enjoyable. For the most part, there are enough clever ideas to keep this premise alive and afloat, yet not nearly enough to exalt this film into the kingdom of cinematic greatness, as towards the end, the writing loses focus and traffics in sentimentality rather than comedy. The plot revolves around Nick Marshall (Gibson), and his increasing understanding and prerogative upon women, when he hears everything they are thinking, regardless of whether they approve of his awareness of their secrecy or not. The director takes a very conventional approach to this delightful premise: initially Marshall is chauvinistic, pompous, and universally loathed by the female sex, then he inherits the ability to read women's minds (initially shocked and wanting to be rid of this ability), then grows to understand what he perceives, and finally, becomes "one of them", as his masculinity and ego have escaped with his appreciation and understanding of the women around him. And of course there's a romantic interest (who is initially Marshall's corporate nemesis and personality opposite)- Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt), as the two initially have a mutual annoyance of one another, then start conversing, working, and relating, and finally are allured by each other's charm and "common ground" (mostly acquired through Marshall's reading of Darcy's mind- for both professional and romantic purposes). For what it's worth, I really enjoyed "What Women Want"- it is a simple, fruitful, funny, and touching experience, and works very eloquently as both an intriguing comedy and romantic adventure. Yet, I had to instinctively question: "Is this what women are really thinking? Are they always concerned with appearances, relationships, deficiencies, acceptances, etc. Sounds like the thoughts a woman might express in a fashion magazine (e.g. Vogue, Vanity Fair) editorial, but are these really the personal, human thoughts felt by a woman on a day-to-day basis? Dubious! Despite some particular flaws, "What Women Wants" is a charming, enjoyable, and rewarding romantic comedy about understanding the greatest mystery of all: "What are women thinking, and what do they really want?" Just ask Nick Marshall, who appears to have learned enough about women to admire and love women for who they are, rather than how they appear. *** out of ****