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It's
a question that has been debated since the beginning of time. Plato
and Socrates, perhaps the two greatest philosophers in history,
wondered about it. William Shakespeare, the greatest playwright we've
ever known, wrote about it. Albert Einstein, the greatest scientific
mind of his time, formed equations about it. So it's only fitting
that Mel Gibson, arguably the most talented |
actor
of the last 20 years, take his turn at trying to solve the most
puzzling puzzle of them all:
What
do women want?
In
Paramount Pictures' "What Women Want," Gibson
("Braveheart," "Lethal Weapon") plays Nick
Marshall, the almost-perfect man's man. He has a different woman
every week, he shows up to work three hours late, and he's just good
enough at BSing to hold on to his job. The only thing that holds Nick
back is that, well, he's a male. A woman is hired to do the job that
Nick was supposed to be promoted to, and a few drinks, a blow dryer,
and a bathtub full of hot water later, Nick is granted a gift he
never asked for: he can hear what women think.
At
first, he gets freaked out, but a visit to a counselor (Bette
Midler) convinces Nick that he can put this gift to work for himself.
So, he puts his newly acquired talent to work on his new boss (Oscar
award-winner Helen Hunt) and tries to get his job back. Little does
he know, his boss has a little talent of her own.
Gibson
is a classic actor, who has proven time and again that he can act in
whatever kind of movie he's put in. However, it's been about 10 years
since he's done a strictly comedy flick, and "What Women
Want" shows us that he hasn't lost his ability. He plays both
the arrogant jerk and the sensitive feminine male equally well, and
he even throws a Sinatra-esque dance routine in. The talent doesn't
drop off after Gibson, either, as Hunt and Marisa Tomei ("My
Cousin Vinny," "The Watcher") both do very well
opposite Gibson.
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The
script, however, is a different story. The first part is great, but
once Nick discovers that he can use his talent to his advantage, the
script kinda tapers off from there. The ending is more confusing than
a Florida vote recount, and it kinda leaves a bad taste in your mouth
when you leave. |
Helen
Hunt and Mel Gibson star in Paramount's What
Women Want |
But
through everything, it's very apparent that Mel Gibson knows what
he's doing. He acts brilliantly in the movie, and just that alone
makes the movie worth seeing. It's not the best film that's come out
this winter, but it is in the top half. And above all else: Mel
Gibson does his best to answer the question of what women want:
Mel
Gibson.
Review
by Mitch
Worthington
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