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Burn After Reading

Reviewed by Stephen R. Lang
   
The Women Movie
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The WomenBased on George Cukor’s 1939 film and Clare Boothe Luce’s 1936 stage play, The Women whisks us into a busy pocket of Manhattan society, where the publishing, fashion and finance industries play.  At the center of the tale is Meg Ryan’s character, Mary Haines, a thoroughly modern woman suddenly confronted with an age-old dilemma: a cheating husband.  The ladies in her life swiftly rally to Mary’s side, led by her best friend, Sylvie Fowler, a dynamic magazine editor played by Annette Bening.  But when Sylvie betrays Mary in a Faustian bargain, the entire group is shaken to the core – and two women face the most painful breakup of all - their friendship.

 

Like its predecessors, The Women unfolds in an entirely female world; men are richly portrayed, but are never seen onscreen.  Making her feature debut, English creates a multi-generational tapestry that encompasses post-feminist baby boomers, post-menopausal women and pre-teen girls.  Fittingly, The Women boasts one of the most impressive rosters of female actors ever assembled in one film.  Joining Ryan and Bening in the principal cast are Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett Smith, Candice Bergen, Bette Midler, Cloris Leachman, Carrie Fisher, and Debi Mazar.  The supporting cast includes superb veterans Joanna Gleason and Lynn Whitfield as well as fresh young faces Tilly Scott Pedersen and India Ennenga.   

 

In creating a 21st Century version of The Women, English maintains the wit, pacing and outrageousness of the original while reflecting the immense changes to women’s lives since the 1930s.  And while Luce’s play was a poison pen letter to the society women she loathed, English’s film is a valentine to today’s woman, an appreciation of her efforts to navigate a complex web of choices, roles and responsibilities.  English’s women are a diverse lot, professionally, economically and ethnically; not all of them are married, nor are all of them heterosexual.  What they are is funny, enterprising, and very protective of their own.  The Women portrays their troubles and triumphs with a gimlet eye and generous heart; it is a comedy of both style and substance.

 
 
Other Movies Opening in Florida 9/12/2008
 
Based on George Cukor’s 1939 film and Clare Boothe Luce’s 1936 stage play, The Women whisks us into a busy pocket of Manhattan society, where the publishing, fashion and finance industries play. The Women opens 9/12/2008.Based on George Cukor’s 1939 film and Clare Boothe Luce’s 1936 stage play, The Women whisks us into a busy pocket of Manhattan society, where the publishing, fashion and finance industries play. Full Movie Review: The Women opens 9/12/2008. Righteous Kill is a action-crime film directed by Jon Avnet, and starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Donnie Wahlberg, and Curtis Jackson. The film will be released on September 12, 2008.
The Family That Preys is a 2008 comedy-drama film written and directed by Tyler Perry, who also co-produced and co-stars. The film starring Alfre Woodard, Kathy Bates, Sanaa Lathan. The film will be released on September 12, 2008. The film focuses on "two families from different sides of the tracks that become intimately involved in love and business".The Family That Preys is a 2008 comedy-drama film written and directed by Tyler Perry, who also co-produced and co-stars. The film starring Alfre Woodard, Kathy Bates, Sanaa Lathan. The film will be released on September 12, 2008. The film focuses on "two families from different sides of the tracks that become intimately involved in love and business". The plot of Burn after Reading focuses on the world of the CIA, physical fitness in Washington, D.C., and internet dating. The film is the Coen brothers' first since the Academy Award winning No Country For Old Men and has been described by Tilda Swinton as "...a kind of monster caper movie. All of us are monsters - like, true monsters. It's ridiculous."The plot of Burn after Reading focuses on the world of the CIA, physical fitness in Washington, D.C., and internet dating. The film is the Coen brothers' first since the Academy Award winning No Country For Old Men and has been described by Tilda Swinton as "...a kind of monster caper movie. All of us are monsters - like, true monsters. It's ridiculous." Full Review: Burn after Reading opens 9/12/2008.
 
 

What would you do if you found out your best friend’s husband was cheating?  To what lengths would you go, as a friend to help them out?  The Women is the story of four fabulous females who not only conquer infidelity, unemployment, loss of identity, parental connection, and vanity but a host of other topics faced by NY society women as well. 

Candace BerganAt the center of The Women, you have four strong and sensitive women who all struggle daily to keep everything together.  It starts out focusing on Sylvia Fowler (Annette Bening), she is the Editor of a Vogue competitor and the type of NY Society Bitch you want to be friends with and not of the other side of a sales counter from.  Sylvia decides to get a manicure and gets that and more from Tanya (Debi Mazar) who, unashamedly blabs that one of her coworkers (Eva Mendez) is having an affair with some wealthy and well-known stockbroker, Stephen Haines.  Tanya fails to realize that her client is best friends with Stephen’s wife Mary and is due at her house for a garden party in an hour.  Enter Mary Haines (Meg Ryan) and her new smaller lips.  She is a hard working and overachieving Wife/Mother/Daughter who is completely spread too thin to know how to keep everything together, yet is able to cook for 100 guests and look amazing.  If people only knew everything was a façade and about to fall apart.  At the party you will get to know the fierce and lazy party girl lesbian writer Alex Fisher (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Mother of the Universe Edie Cohen (Debra Messing).  How all of them are intertwined is a mystery and is never explained.  This movie makes you believe that they have been friends for decades—all long before they became the women they are today.   

Debra MesingFans of Lipstick Jungle and Sex In the City will relate to a lot of the topics covered from shopping to childrearing with a career to absentee spouses and infidelity as well as the ultimate price of beauty.  It also discusses what career choices would you make to further your career and/or to keep it?  One of the best parts of the entire film, which was explained to me right before entering was that the entire cast is female.  Talk about Girl Power!  Literally, I paid attention and there was not one man in this movie.  The Assistants, Nurses, and counter people—all women.   

Eva MendezThe Women (2008) is based on the 1939 movie of the same name and makes me want to Netflix it to compare.  I want to know what they had originally planned for the fierce power lesbian that Jada Pinkett Smith played. I want to know how they all communicated prior to PDAs.  What things did they change and modernize and what things were they able to keep the same?   

Mark's List Quick Critic
The Women
µµµµ See it opening week
Incredible superstar cast with amazing acting and believable plot.
Ten Word Review:
 
 
Three Sentence Synopsis:
What would you do if you found out your best friend’s husband was cheating?  To what lengths would you go, as a friend to help them out?  The Women is the story of four fabulous females who not only conquer infidelity, unemployment, loss of identity, parental connection, and vanity but a host of other topics faced by NY society women as well. 

With this movie you will grow to love the Supporting Actresses.  If you liked Cloris Leachman’s mother character in Spanglish, you will love her wisdom as Meg Ryan’s housekeeper.  With Diane English Writing and Directing this, it is only fitting they have one of the most powerful women from television, Murphy Brown star Candace Burgen as Mary Haines’s strong-willed and omnipotent mother.   Do not miss the afternoon lunch scene where she orders Mary a Gimlet because she will divulge personal family history that will make your jaw drop and truly understand the meaning of sacrifice, compromise, and moving on.  What things do you want your children to remember of their childhood?  What kind of example do you want to show them?   

Bette MidlerAfter it is all said and done, The Women will make you laugh, cry, and wonder what changes need to be made in your own life.  This movie seemed seamless, like it was all taken in one shot and gave each cast member a moment to shine.  This will leave you with the burning question:  Who is the person you want to be and how different is that from the person you are now?  If you take any one pull-quote from this movie it is this:  Nobody hates Saks.