What Women Want

It is not easy to start from a funny idea like this, write a script for 90 minutes, get some humour and end up with a perfect bake.

In fact, it's easy to go wrong somewhere along the way, last too long, make it too slapstick, or too serious, and then after 25 minutes people know they shouldn't have paid for their seat.

This film - about a man suddenly endowed with hearing women's thoughts - is a favourite rerun at Christmas, and I still watch it (ok not in full, I have a life too) instead of changing channels because it's still funny.

Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt are really good there, they just coined it and you wish there were more unpretentious (but with a tiny bit of depth and message) comedies like this around.

A man suddenly finds himself able to read women's minds and actually know what women want from men.Now,what guy doesn't want to be in that position? This was a terrific idea for a film and it was executed to perfection.Who better than Mel Gibson to represent us in this situation? He's the one man women probably wish understood them.At any rate,Gibson really turns on the Gibson charm here and there's not a better film in which to do that.Helen Hunt makes a great leading lady and is her usual charming self.Also,from the supporting cast,it's always great to see Alan Alda,one of the most underrated actors of our time.This film starts with a very unique,funny idea,and it does not disappoint in terms of how good it can be executed.Well casted,well directed and very funny film.

When this movie started, I didn't know if I would like it, although it had a very powerful beginning. But eventually (around the part I mentioned) I realized that it's very funny. And you've gotta love the romance!

Mel Gibson is Nick Marshall, a womanizer who at the same time doesn't understand women at all. When the womanliest of all women, Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt), starts to work with his company, she assigns everyone to think of advertising ideas for at least one feminine item in the boxes she gives them (pantyhose, lipstick, mascara, a wonderbra, nail polish, etc.). Nick tries to think, but instead gets drunk and paints his nails, tries on the mascara and pantyhose, and yes, waxes his legs. That night, a freak accident occurs in his apartment, and then he can hear what women are thinking. He uses this asset to steal Darcy's ideas, and at the same time falls in love with her.

Besides Gibson and Hunt's performances, there are three other reasons I love this movie. One, Marisa Tomei, who is perky and cute as Nick's previous uninterested love interest, a coffee-shop girl named Lola. But just when Nick gets less desperate for her and more so for Darcy, Lola discovers that she really does like him. Two, Ashley Johnson, who is demanding but lovable as Nick's teenage daughter from a previous marriage. He can hear her thoughts, too, and finds out that she's planning to lose her virginity on prom night. Although he tries to stop her, she eventually learns the lesson on her own. Three, it has an awesome soundtrack. Frank Sinatra, the Temptations, Nancy Wilson, and Bobby Darin sing old classics, while Christina Agulera and Meredith Brooks perform fairly new hits.

Anybody who likes comedy, romance, or just a great movie should see "What Women Want." I think it's one of the few unisex romantic comedies (not chick flicks) there are, so it's a great date movie.

"What Women Want" has a unusual plot which also makes us (men) think: what do women really want? The final conclusion is that they want happiness, just like men.

Despite being a predictable movie and nothing extraordinary, at least it teaches to us (men) some valuable lessons about women. It's a good way to understand and know them better.

The first hour of this movie is great fun, very entertaining and pure comedy. During the first hour we have some moments to give us good laughs. Mel Gibson has never been this funny before. He plays a hilarious character: Nick Marshall, a typical "macho men" or a "men's man". The kind of man that other men admire and want to be like him. The kind of man who doesn't understand a thing about women (although seen as a "God's gift" to women). Nick is proud, rich, chauvinistic, single and loves to hear Frank Sinatra.

After an accident with the hairdryer, he suddenly has the power of hearing what women think and what they think of him isn't what he expected. He sees this as a curse, but after being convinced by a psychologist that he could take advantage of this gift, he uses it to manipulate Darcy McGuire.

However, in the second half, the movie fails, becoming predictable and somehow lame, losing all its comical side. Some ridiculous and silly things happen in the second half. Also, I rather the "old" Nick than the "good" Nick, because the "old" Nick was much funnier. He becomes the "good guy" in the second half, losing his sense of humor.

This movie has some nice songs, such as "I Won't Dance" (performed by Frank Sinatra), "I've Got You Under My Skin" (performed by Frank Sinatra in a duet with Bono) and "Bitch" (performed by Meredith Brooks).

Mel Gibson is great and charming as Nick Marshall, while Helen Hunt is okay and pretty in the role of Darcy McGuire.

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?