In the Land of Women

refuge after break up. new universe. and different forms of love. lessons of life. and the change. the basic virtue of film is to remind the old fashion romantic comedies. and it is not a small thing. because the humor and performances and romanticism are at the right place. sure, not at the perfect place. but the war between woman and man, the evolution of emotions, the dialogues and the feel to meet, again, after a long time, familiar situations, are the good point for this film who represents the fine definition of the discover of the other.

The main character is a guy named Carter, a writer of soft porn who lives in California. He is a good listener, so people reveal things about themselves to him. Because he knows that "life is messy", he is not judgmental. He goes to Michigan to live with his grandmother for a while.

His grandmother is a quirky/confused woman who may be senile and who has an obsession with the possibility of her own impending death.

Across the street lives a family named the Hardwickes. Carter is drawn into the drama of their lives. The mother, Sarah, is not happy in her marriage. Her relationship with her teenage daughter suffers from the usual poor communication/generational issues.

The teenage daughter, Lucy, besides dealing with her family issues, is not very self-defined, like many teenagers. She sees a guy who may be her boyfriend.

The younger daughter, Paige, is the precocious tween who hides her immaturity with her verbosity and intelligence.

Carter negotiates the minefield of the Hardwickes' individual issues and their feelings for each other. In the process, he learns about himself. The story contains some tears, but the overall tone of the film is light.

In the Land of Women reminds us of some basic truths: You are lucky to live, so live your life (and no one else's). You are lucky to love another. Art awakens you to real living.

Jonathan Kasdan--the writer and director--is the son of Lawrence Kasdan. This film is not a copy of his father's style, but it did remind me of the superior Lawrence Kasdan film, Grand Canyon. I think father would be proud.

This movie was billed as a romantic comedy, but it's really a drama, and it was so much better than I expected! Redemptive and thought-provoking, this movie raises questions about if women and men can be friends without romantic undertones, and includes themes of forgiveness and living life fully. Meg Ryan is always real and lovable, and Adam Brody is a great counterpart. It's so great to see him as a leading man. I loved him in The O.C., but hopefully the bulk of his career is ahead of him. Scenes between him and the grandmother were hilarious. Very well directed. Definitely one to see with your friends and discuss over coffee afterwards--don't take your parents.

This film is getting a 9 based soley on the completely misleading promotion.

I went into this expecting a love story between Carter Webb (Adam Brody) and Lucy Hardwicke (Kristen Stewart). I was expecting a dramatic age-gap romance with an ending about his having to go back to Los Angeles.

What I got was a totally confusing love hexagon that ended up not being about love at all.

Carter just got dumped. So he decides to go to Michigan to live with his grandmother (who is by far the best and most interesting character) and ends up becoming really close to the women across the street.

While it was moving, touching, and all that good stuff, I left the theater with one thought in my mind. "What the hell just happened?" It was fantastic. I would highly recommend it. However, I would not recommend expecting what I did. Don't go into this hoping that the trailers and poster (which show a lovely romance between Carter and Lucy) ring true to the film. That is not at all what the story is about. It would make a great film, in my opinion, and I still wish it had taken that direction, but sadly it did not. While still fantastic, you should expect a film about real people (with many flaws and weaknesses that humans have, like the inability to to stand up for themselves) not a movie like "She's All That" where the two young, good-looking people fall in love with an epic romance.

That is not this film. Go see it. But see it to see a great study on characters, not story.

Meg Ryan has always been one of my favorite actresses. I loved her in You've Got Mail, Joe Versus the Volcano, and virtually everything she has ever done. When I saw that she was coming out with a new movie, I was more than excited. In the Land of Women is an interesting look into the lives of several people who live in a small Michigan suburb.

Carter (Adam Brody), who happens to write scripts for pornos, has just been dumped by his famous actress/model girlfriend, and decides to go live with his grandmother in Michigan to get over it. His grandmother (Olympia Dukakis) is constantly thinking that she is dying, and is always trying to convince Carter that any minute could be her last. Sarah (played to absolute perfection by Meg Ryan), the woman from across the street, soon comes over to welcome Carter to the neighborhood, and the two become friends. The pair begin to take walks where Carter tells Sarah everything about his painful breakup while she tells him how her daughter resents her.

Sarah's daughter Lucy (Kristin Stewart) is the usual angsty teen girl, who's life is filled to the brim with regular, and some not-so-regular, teenage drama. Her boyfriend, the quarterback, is a total jerk and she thinks her mother doesn't care for her at all. When it is discovered that Sarah has breast cancer, Lucy must face her issues with her mother in order to show her that she loves her.

Overall, this movie is quite good. Meg Ryan is truly spectacular, and so is her material. The mistake that this film made, however, was shifting its focus from Sarah to Lucy. There have been so many teen movies that have dealt with the same thing, but Sarah's character (due to Meg Ryan) was incredibly original and well-developed. If the story had focused more on the friendship that developed between Carter and Sarah, the film would have been much more effective. Stewart does do a pretty good job with her material, but the applause must be given to Ryan for her exceptional performance. As usual, Adam Brody is his normal cynical and sarcastic self, but his scenes with Meg Ryan were quite good. If you are up for a dramatic film that deals with some of life's greatest challenges, then this one's for you.

My Grade: B- (But A+ for Meg Ryan's scenes)