nikhavey Reviews

What Women Want (2000)

Is mind Reading the Only Way for Men to Understand?

[29 July 2004]

The film What Women Want is about a man, Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson), who has been characterized as a 'man's man,' a male who is the type of guy that other men look up to. Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt) also stars and sends Marshall into a male power trip when she is offered a job position that he was trying so hard to get. Marshall is known for his ability to seduce women and fornicate with them. Most of the women in his life think that he is a self centered jerk, because of the way he objectifies them. Even his fifteen year old daughter feels as if they are not related because of his poor communication skills with women. But an unexpected twist took place one day while blow drying mousse in his hair. While he was going about his business, Marshall tripped, and fell into his bathtub full of water, being electrocuted severely. Oddly enough, what would kill a normal human being did not harm Nick in any way, rather than it mysteriously gave him the power to hear what women are thinking. So, equipped with his new skill, he goes about his day, not knowing he has this amazing ability. Throughout his random encounters with women, particularly at work, he comes to realize that all the women are not very fond of him.

In all movies, there is always a message of some sort that the director is trying to express. In this particular film, I believe there is more than one message. One of the dilemmas the movie expressed was women do not know what they want. Throughout the movie, women were constantly complaining about men, or their hair, or their outfit. The truth is that women do not know what they do want; only what they don't want. Another message it displayed is a world renown problem: the concept that men do not have a clue about women. They communicate differently as men, and want different things as well. Is reading women's minds the only way for men to understand? I sure hope not.

The technique of this movie is nothing to throw a fit over. The average cinematography isn't dazzling, but it is good enough to keep the viewer interested. The sound track was well thought out, with many famous songs helping out in several scenes and strongly assisting in setting the mood. A few things stand out in the movie that question reality. For example, Gibson falls into a full bathtub, gets electrocuted by thousands of volts, and only wakes up with a headache. At a different point in the movie he gets shocked again, but not by a household utensil. The second time it's by lightning, and again, just a headache. No singed eyebrows or fried shoelaces were to be found.

What Women Want is an entertaining movie at the least. Mel Gibson, as always, does an excellent job portraying his character, as well as Helen Hunt. The cast did a well-rounded job, and no one was out of place. I enjoyed the movie thoroughly and enjoyed the humor. The film was filled with talented acting, laughs, and lighthearted suspense. It would be a good recommendation for anyone who is bored and desires a humorous, fun movie. The idea of a man being able to read women's minds is clever and amusing. Should this ever happen, would it be classified as a gift, or a nightmare?

The Last Samurai (2003)

Tom Cruise: a White Man who thinks He's a Japanese Warrior

[1 July 2004]

"The Last Samurai" is an epic story that revolves around the evolution from sword to rifle in the Japanese way of battle. Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is an ex-American cavalier, who once took part in fighting against the Indians. He is hired by the Japanese government to train their peasants-turned soldiers how to fight the 'blood thirsty warriors.' The Japanese believe his past brutality gives him the knowledge to do this. Armed with inadequate training and lack of experience, the Japanese troops are deployed to battle the rebelling Samurai. As expected, the troops are slaughtered by the great warriors. After the melee was through, Capt. Algren is captured and taken back to their village by the Samurai leader Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe). There he learns of the Samurai way of battle and grows attached to their culture, even learning the Japanese tongue. Because of the Samurai and their discipline, Capt. Algren reforms and becomes a better man overall.

The director Edward Zwice has put much thought into this film. The director displays an important message throughout the film. The message emphasized was the drastic effect of firearms on the war field. The Japanese wanted to progress with the rest of the world and upgrade to rifles and gun powder. To achieve their goal, they eliminated the Samurai and their strict methods of combat. When the Japanese engaged the Samurai, they obliterated the warriors with machine guns in a few seconds once they were adequately trained. This reformation not only happened with the Japanese, but also with the rest of the world as well.

"The Last Samurai" displayed diverse technique and planning. Skillful procedures were used to display the Samurai as fearless warriors, as well as intimidating. In their opening battle, the Samurai were portrayed as fearsome, 'ghost-like' warriors and the battle cries yelled by the charging horsemen struck fear into the hearts of the peasant soldiers. Before the warriors could even be seen, their presence was known by fearsome cries and eerie chanting. Many methods were used to build suspense, like fog and overcasts from trees, during scenes involving combat. Multiple camera angles were used throughout the film to portray the greatness of the Japanese Samurai.