The Women
(2009)An all-star cast chick flick, based on George Cukor's 1939 film of the same name.... More
Set in a busy pocket of Manhattan society, where the publishing, fashion and finance industries play, at the center of The Women is Mary (Meg Ryan), a thoroughly modern woman suddenly confronted with an age-old dilemma: a cheating husband. The ladies in her life swiftly rally to Mary’s side, led by her best friend, Sylvie (Annette Bening), a dynamic magazine editor. But when Sylvie betrays Mary in a Faustian bargain, the entire group is shaken to the core – and two women face the most painful breakup of all - their friendship.Hide
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Directed by Diane English (feature debut)
Starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Eva Mendes, Candice Bergen, Bette Midler, Carrie Fisher
Written by Diane English (based on the 1939 film 'The Women', and the play by Clare Boothe Luce)
Flicks Review
BY Andrew Hedley Flicks Writer
There are no men to be seen in The Women. They are discussed, telephoned, and mused about but they remain off screen at all times. For a while it’s like a bad episode of The Twilight Zone, in which ladies have learned to breed amongst themselves and the chaps are now forgotten relics, whose only record of prior existence lies in moth-eaten books at the bottom of musty museum basements. ... More
A film touching on the topic of female empowerment could be an interesting watch. The Women, however, is not that film. Instead, it’s a bland, cliched, pointless examination of modern gender concerns. This is a movie in which all men apparently drink straight from the milk carton and leave the toilet seat up. If there was ever a valid intent here, the filmmakers have created something so obtuse and simplified that any insight is stifled.
Accompanied by a shake ‘n’ bake soundtrack of tacky lounge jazz (ripping off Sex and the City), and climaxing with a screeching cacophony in a maternity ward, The Women is never the smart, sassy movie it aspires to be. It’s unimaginative, tepid, and populated with women so awful that sane men would be running for the hills. Ah, so that’s where they’ve all gone.Hide
The Peoples' Reviews
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The Women
The performances in this film are so likeable, and it is so nice to see Meg Ryan back on screen in something light-hearted and fun that "The Women" feels like the more adult and poignant version of "Sex and the City". Not nearly as shallow or fashion-obsessed as SATC, the characters are all different, funny and quirky in their own ways and Candice Bergen doesn't look like she has been stung by a bee as she did in SATC. I'd happily sit through this movie again...
The Press Reviews
13%
of critics recommend.
Rotten Tomatoes Score. More reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
As a well-crafted, well-written and well-acted entertainment, it drew me in and got its job done. Full Review
It’s like an alternative-reality Sex And The City with unfabulous clothes. A bad idea’s made worse by below-average execution and underwhelming performances. Full Review
The film repeatedly sacrifices dramatic punch for political correctness. Full Review
A witless, straining mess. Full Review
Never provides a compelling reason for revisiting George Cukor’s original. Full Review
The Women is less about getting even than about inspiring that same mushy sense of female empowerment you might find in a Tyler Perry meller, complete with manic mood swings and full-blown diva moments. Full Review
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