I was flabbergasted by the negative critics starting this long list of reviews. I think their mistake was to compare this movie with the old original.
They have nothing to do with each other.
The original one is a classic, I love it fondly. This movie is based on the same novel, but it's absolutely contemporary. Another time, another way of thinking, another set of rules to move in society with.
The old elegance in clothes, the distinguished looks, the excellent manners, all gone..., gone with the wind. But let's face it, our concept of contemporary elegance is what it is, nothing will make us go back to the 1930s idea of elegance, or manners, and if somebody resents that fact..., MMMmmmm, I'm afraid they are out of sync. with the present.
Meg Ryan looks lovely; somebody complained that she cannot move her face... come on! what do you want her to do with it, a Cheeta number?? Her figure, and her legs! are first-class (so are Anne Benning's!!).
The cast is excellent and as everybody complains about Eva Mendez, the original character is exactly like her. Joan Crawford in the old movie couldn't --at the time-- play it so coarse, because of censorship and simply because at that time they didn't portrayed reality as harsh as we use to do it today. Period.
The movie is extremely entertaining, have some good laughs, the timing is excellent..., the photography flawless, the lighting impeccable, the sound perfect... anything else, El Exigente?
I don't think these crew made this film pretending to surpass Antonioni, Visconti or Bergman. I enjoyed very much the 'women alone' dialogs, since they never act like that when even just one man is present. And the speed, spontaneity and sincerity of these dialogs indicate that only a woman could have directed this film.
These group of women --with fantastic openness (something you will never find among men) when talking their hearts out, is so believable and attractive (at least to me), that I wanted this movie to go on forever!!
They made a light --very light-- piece of entertainment, that's all. What really bothered me reading the critics written by men, was their necessity to clarify before hand that "This isn't the kind of picture I would go to see by myself... ME, such a macho man..., I saw it because..." (some excuse or other). Wow! are we tied up in knots, guys!! What is happening out there with those old fashioned ideas about what a man is about!!
Wake up men, or we'll end up missing the boat irremediably!!
