Product: What Women Want [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 2.0
Actually, Two and One-Half Stars
This movie was, in many ways, a cute "chick flick". I like Mel Gibson, but cannot stand Helen Hunt, so I was a bit torn on whether to watch this movie in the first place. Eventually, I did, and I have to agree with those who claim that this movie is much longer than necessary. For example, the big "Mel Gibson Solo Dance" is charming but utterly unnecessary to the plot, as is the "Suicidal Co-Worker" portion of the story. This "character" (I frame that word loosely because we don't know why she's so depressed, etc. Frankly, I didn't want to know) served no purpose, and his "be a good guy, offer her a new job" solution is way off base.The dance scene with Helen Hunt, also, is wasteful (in the post-movie interviews, this is explained away by the director's misled belief that these scenes somehow added a "Tracy/Hepburn" atmosphere to the film), time consuming and a bit frothy. Additionally, the entire date scene with Marisa Tomei is just wasted filler. If the movie was supposed to be about Nick's gradual emergence into a "good" guy, then this scene blew it. Somehow in the middle of his "metamorphisis" he scams a date with a woman, knowing she's vulnerable, sleeps with her and never calls again. Yet never gives it another thoughtI should also point out that this film supposedly takes place during the two-week period of Nick's ex-wife's honeymoon. Are you telling me that it is possible to wine and dine a VERY difficult client to get, come up with an outstanding ad campaign for said client, and dazzle the client in that short a space of time? And while you're at it, fall in love, become superdad, etc. A bit too unrealistic... even for a movie.Last but not least, I LOVED the soundtrack. The only problem was there was too much of it and it was much too loud. I found myself turning up the volume in an attempt to figure out what the characters were saying underneath Sinatra's pipes.Overall, an okay rainy day rental but nothing more.