Hey folks, Harry here and ya all know Derek here... he's one of those swinging bitchslapping spies the likes of which we haven't seen since the days of James Coburn, who acted as this character on the big screen long ago.. but he couldn't even begin to capture the swinging dick cool that Derek here exudes. It looks like Flint is in like a Bic lighter here at AICN... He's apparently in for a big big BIG scoop this coming week... and I can't wait to read that report. And this film... WHAT WOMEN WANT... Well, ol Ms Lansing told me it was good... we'll have to all wait and see for ourselves... Here's Mr Flint...
Hey Harry
Derek Flint here.
Once again it's a pleasure to be in touch with you. Since this is my first review EVER for your website, I'm using Microsoft word to make sure I don't get embarrassed with typos and stuff in print. (The thing even corrects grammar, which is cool and I hate to admit I need it BAD.)
I told you the recruiter for this screening asked whether or not I was online, I think that may have been because of the age group I'm in and the way I was dressed. I had a Rob Zombie t shirt on. They asked whether I visit AICN and I told a lie and said no because I didn't want to get uninvited to the screening. This made me think they were paranoid about something. I couldn't find out what the film was or who was in it, which made me wonder what the deal was.
I showed up at the Mann Marketplace tonight in Thousand Oaks and the preview was supposed to start at 7:30. There was a big crowd and I overheard one of the studio people saying that Helen Hunt was in the movie so I thought it might have been "Castaway" but it wasn't.
The movie is called "What Women Want" and stars Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. It's from Paramount. I didn't know what to expect, but was really surprised. Here's my first review for AICN. Thank you for the chance to contribute to your cool site which I couldn't live without:
Tonight I went to a theater in Thousand Oaks, called the Janss Marketplace, and saw a sneak preview of a new comedy coming out for the holidays called "What Women Want" starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt.
The print was in pretty good shape but with temped in music from other flicks. From what I could tell the movie looks almost close to finished.
I'd seen the trailer a bunch of times for this one, after hearing about it on this site when somebody said Mel Gibson has "mutant powers" in the flick. From the preview I thought this movie would be another "Look Who's Talking" gimmick thing, one of those "one joke" flicks, but I was wrong and was really surprised by my reaction. I thought this might be the ultimate "chick flick," which it is in a way, but it's got much more going for it.
In the movie Mel Gibson plays a sexist pig and womanizer. In other words, a "guy." They show how his upbringing made him that way and let me say that if any other actor had of played this part women would have been walking out of the film all pissed off. Gibson made his chauvinism funny and since the movie showed the roots of it, you understood where he was coming from.
His character works in an advertising agency, and he's a real stud. He's got no problem getting women into bed (this is Mel Gibson, so it's believable), but he also doesn't have a clue as to what makes them tick or what goes on inside their heads. This makes for lots of laughs and when you see the interior of Gibson's pad you'll think Austin Powers was his decorator. His inability to relate to women also makes for a not great relationship with his daughter.
Helen Hunt plays a rival of Gibson's at the agency who gets the job he wants and becomes his boss. Obviously, this pisses him off big time and he sets his sights on getting even.
Anyway, Gibson's character gets into an accident which gives him the power to hear women's thoughts within close proximity to him. Once this happens this movie really scores. In fact, it smokes. The audience was laughing so much you couldn't hear whole sections of the movie, but this film is more than a comedy. It works on a lot of levels as Gibson gains insight into the female psyche and uses it to his own advantage at work and off.
This is the kind of comedy you might imagine Steve Martin or Jim Carrey or Eddie Murphy or Ben Stiller starring in, but it was better with Mel Gibson because he really is WHAT WOMEN WANT, and that was obvious from the reactions of all the babes in the theater. I thought "The Patriot" was really disappointing because I've seen him do that role before and better, but I've never seen Mel Gibson do anything like this. He's outstanding in this part and will surprise everybody. I heard a few of the older people in the theater walking out saying he was "like Cary Grant or Paul Newman" and I guess that's true. He's a romantic leading man in this, but also hilarious. He makes fun of his whole persona, even shaving his legs and wearing panty hose as a way of getting more in touch with what women go through. Man, this dude is brave.
Gibson also dances in the movie and does it like he's been doing it his whole life. You'd never know this was the same guy who was once "Mad Max," and I mean that as a compliment. Big Mel is awesome in this flick.
The other performance which scored big time, with the audience too, was Marisa Tomei. It reminded me of how great she was in "My Cousin Vinny" and how sad that nobody's been using her in comedies until now. This will really bring her back again. She has a scene in bed with Gibson which people went crazy over.
The whole cast is good, which has pretty much all stars in it, people like Alan Alda and Bette Midler as Gibson's shrink in a cameo. There's even Valerie Perrine in it, if you can believe it. (If you're wondering, she still looks hot.)
Helen Hunt worked really well in the movie too. Her character has a lot of dimensions and goes through many changes, as does Gibsons. What was interesting is that I never thought Helen Hunt looked better than in this film. She never really did anything for me until now. Believe it or not, she comes off as a babe. (Maybe the makeup people should be up for a special Oscar.)
The chick who played Gibson's daughter was pretty hot too, and for once in a movie you actually believe that the star of the movie could really be her dad. Wait until you see what he does when he overhears her thoughts about losing her virginity.
I don't want to give any spoilers in this reivew, but there's serious stuff in this movie which comes into play near the end. By eavesdropping on women's thoughts without them knowing it, Gibson's character has been cheating a bit. Nothing too heavy, but sort of like the way Dustin Hoffman was using the information he got while dressed up in drag to help him nail Jessica Lang in "Tootsie." His character starts to feel remorse about prying and not playing fair, and there's some cool stuff that happens with that. Those scenes are really well directed, with some cool David Lynch kind of surreal visuals in one instance.
The movie is hilarious, but turns sometimes serious, and that's what surprised me. It made it a better movie than like a "Liar Liar" or any of those other "gimmick" movies.
This is the ultimate date movie where everybody will have lots to talk about after. The insight about women's thoughts and emotions was a lot more honest than like "Sex and the City." Parts of it reminded me of "High Fidelity" in the way it was showing how different men and women's thoughts and emotions are.
The movie ends on just the right note and doesn't hit you over the head with its message. It's really funny, as funny as any other really funny movie out there, but it's a lot better done. It's got something I haven't seen in a comedy in a long time - emotion and some depth.
Both men and women really dug the movie tonight, and so did I. I was really surprised and want to see it again when it's all finished and take a date because this movie will definitely put her in just the "right" mood. I think this is the big hit movie for the end of the year, and Mel Gibson will remind everybody why he's such a huge star. He took a big chance in "What Women Want" and it pays off for him big time.
Maybe Harrison Ford could learn something from Gibson, who isn't talking about playing Riggs again like Ford keeps babbling on and on about bringing Indiana Jones back.
"What Women Want" is great.
Derek Flint
