Women in Trouble (2009)

***1/2

An odd but strangely compelling indie comedy, "Women in Trouble" does just what the title suggests; it puts an assortment of lovely ladies into humorously dire predicaments. Two women, Connie Britton ("Friday Night Lights") and the newly pregnant porn star Elektra (Carla Gogina), are stuck together in a stalled elevator; Adrianne Palicki (also of "Friday Night Lights") and Emmanuelle Chrichi are sex workers who witness a crime and have to run to safety; Sarah Clarke ("24") is a therapist whose husband ("The Mentalist"'s Simon Baker) is having an affair with one of her patients; and Marley Shelton is an engaged stewardess who's unfortunate enough to have the rock star (Josh Brolin) who's performing sex on her in the airplane bathroom die when the plane hits turbulence. The storylines, which seem disparate at first glance, do manage to dovetail into one another by movie's end.

As written and directed by Sebastian Gutierrez, the situations are played for both humor and sentiment, as we get to see just some of the absurd things women are forced to go through on a daily basis. And in each case, it seems, the women who are "in trouble" are aided by other women who are in trouble, essentially leading to a special bond of womanhood that helps get them through tough times. The dialogue is generally sharp and witty without ever becoming denigrating or smart-alecky, and the situations the women find themselves in are just absurd enough to keep them from becoming soap-operatic but realistic enough to make us care.

As with most movies that engage in multiple plotlines, some of the stories and some of the scenes are better than others, and, honestly, the film might have benefited from a little less cleverness and a little more focus overall. Still, it has its moments.

True to its title, 2009's "Women In Trouble" is about a bunch of women with an assortment of trouble. The film begins with two women inside a Mexican jail, which turns out to be a film-with-a-film parody sequence of an exploitation movie. You eventually realize that the whole 90 minute feature is self-reflexive parody; although much more subtle than the opening.

Think the Coen Brothers with group of characters speaking out-of-place dialogue in a lot of unusual situations. Think Seinfeld with a lot of disparate pieces in some way related to each other, with the connections eventually coming into focus. Think "The Hours" (2002) with a group of vaguely uneasy women exploring the mysteries of female discontent and finding some solace from shared confidences.

Not a lot of physical humor, nor good acting, nor impressive production design. The writing is the strength of the production and it is excellent. If you don't get subtle parody you would be wise to stay away because there isn't much here for you. You are not the target audience. The only exception would be Marley Shelton fans. She has a very entertaining and clever 10-minute sequence, and looks incredibly hot in a tight flight attendant uniform. For her fans this is a must see even if most of the other material should not happen to be quite their cup of tea.

Those knocking the film simply failed to make the necessary connection with the material, so I wouldn't put much stock in the negative comments and reviews unless they are from someone who tends to mirror your own preferences.

Special features on the DVD includes deleted scenes, a satirical interview that runs after the credits, and Spanish subtitles; given the audio quality and the essential importance of the dialogue the money would have been much better spent on English subtitles.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Buy Women in Trouble (2009) Now

What a pleasant surprise this movie was! Many efforts have been made in crafting films with several parallel stories taking place at the same time, with each one connected at the end. In most cases, the results have been either disastrous or unsatisfactory. This is definitely not the case with "Women in Trouble," a funny and delicious movie that you will truly savor from beginning to end.

Exquisitely directed by Sebastian Gutierrez, in this film you'll find a story about a top porn actress that gets pregnant, a rock star trying to have sex with an attractive flight attendant, two women trapped in an elevator, another porn star that witness a crime, a man that is cheating on his wife, and much more. Believe it or not, all these stories and their characters are connected and make sense in the end. I haven't seen such ability in making sense of so many issues at one time in a movie, in such a wise way, since Pedro Almodovar's "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." I guarantee that you will love this movie.

"Women in Trouble" is loaded with award-winning performances, which include Carla Gigino, Connie Britton, Adrianne Palicki, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Isabella Gutierrez, Josh Brolin, Simon Baker, Elizabeth Berkley, and more. The Blue-ray edition of this film includes deleted scenes, teaser trailers, and more. (USA, 2009, color, 90 min plus additional materials)

Reviewed by Eric Gonzalez for on February 15, 2010.

Read Best Reviews of Women in Trouble (2009) Here

I loved this movie.

There was a gaping, psychological plot hole concerning a 13 year old girl's revelations to her therapist that spawn real danger. The girl had no guilt for precipitating near-catastrophes, and no one was angry at her for outing the truth. Other than that, the movie is a flawless, gorgeous romp, a film that had I seen as a youth might have changed me a lot. Imagine! A movie in which women are real, sexual people who are kind to each other, and in which men are really vapid there was no such representation in culture in 1963. It was a "Mad Men" world.

On the other hand, I notice than a man wrote the movie, and that no women have reviewed the film yet. Does this movie merely subtly pander to how a man wants women to be (the movie sure makes me happy), or might women enjoy and identify with the film? I hope to read thoughtful comments from members of the other gender.

Want Women in Trouble (2009) Discount?

Going into this film, I wasn't sure if this was something I could get into.

I honestly watched it only because I've become a big fan of Joseph Gordon Levitt's work and it was available to instantly stream on netflix.(Which by-the-way, if that's also your motive you might just want to fast-forward to the end of the credits and save yourself some time) So another night alone at home was nigh and it just seemed that 'Women in Trouble' and I were meant to be.

A good twenty minutes into the film and I was thinking "oh well" it doesn't seem like I'm going to be able to endure this. However don't be quick to judge, there is something about this low-budget, slightly socially un-acceptable film that ends-up being really kind of enjoyable.

Part coming-of-age tale, part romantic comedy/chick flick and a good dash of something raw that feels straight out of Sundance.

The intertwined stories of Elektra Luxx(Gugino) a pornstar's impending pregnancy and Maxine McPherson(Sarah Clarke)'s discovery of her cheating husband Travis(Simon Baker) have the most hear in the film, really making you feel for them in a time of need.(Something I personally find hard to come by with most films nowadays)

Starring the beautiful Carla Gugino and Emmanuelle Chriqui (among many others) this movie is a twist of both harsh, dingy reality and the ideas of modern society & love.

Save 52% Off