Drive-By Movie Review: The Women

This is a review of the 2008 movie The Women, starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, and Eva Mendes.

Plot Synopsis: A group of close-knit women try to figure out how to help their friend when she finds out that her husband of 13 years is having an affair.

Me: Well, there are chick flicks and then there are CHICK FLICKS.  But, Honeybee, I just saw the Mother of All Chick Flicks.

The Honeybee: So, how are you feeling?

Me: You know, I suddenly find myself with this insatiable urge to watch the Rambo movie marathon on TNT so I can begin reclaiming just a tiny bit of the manhood that slowly drained from my body over the previous two hours.

The Honeybee: That bad, huh?  I think the cast was first rate: Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Candice Bergen, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Me: That is a lot of female star power there, Honeybee!  By the way, all 47 credited actors in this movie were of the fairer sex!

The Honeybee: Which is all the more amazing when one considers that the central story of this movie revolved around a cheating husband.

Me: Yeah, despite never seeing or hearing from him, they did do a good job working the two-timer into the story.  This story focuses on clothing designer Mary Haines (Ryan) who finds out that her wealthy financier hubby of 13 years is cheating on her with a despicable gold digger (Eva Mendes) who happens to work at the Saks Fifth Avenue perfume counter.

The Honeybee: You know, I didn’t like Mary’s reaction once she found out her husband was having an affair.

Me: Or her relative lack of a reaction.

The Honeybee: Yes!   I don’t know if this was intentional on Meg Ryan’s part, but I got the strong impression Mary felt her husband’s affair was more of a nuisance than anything else.  She reacted the way I would expect if she was told her car was in the parking lot with a flat tire.

Me: Anyway, several of her closest whiny upper-class friends then go into action to try and help, and what follows is a primer on friendships and the inner conflicts that one must deal with when faced with the reality of a two-timing spouse.

The Honeybee: The story was just too unrealistic for me to be really enjoyable.

Me: For me, the movie’s only mildly entertaining moment came when Bette Midler made a brief cameo as a pot smoking wacko who counsels Mary to take revenge on her cheatin’ man by reveling in the glory of selfishness.

The Honeybee: I won’t spoil it, but I did like how Mary ended up resolving the situation in the end.

Me: And I also enjoyed the eye candy provided by the always-gorgeous Mendes, but unfortunately her scenes were just too few and far between to hold my attention in a movie that really was never geared for my demographic anyway.  For me, this movie was a definite “Sell.”   What say you, Honeybee?

The Honeybee: What?

Me: Is it a “buy” or “sell” recommendation for The Women?

The Honeybee: Although I love a good chick flick, this one really sucked.  “Sell.”

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