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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Legally Blonde (2011)

I've been reviewing items for Amazon for a little over a year and a half, now. One of the things that I still don't quite understand is how Amazon picks its "Spotlight Reviews."

Sometimes those Reviews are great. But, sometimes...

Okay. Here are excerpts from the current Spotlight Reviews for this film (though they may be different by the time you read this):

"I was disappointed by this film. I was hoping it was going to be a satire, a la 'Clueless'. When I realized in the first 15 minutes or so that it was not, then I at least hoped it would be funny in any kind of way (e.g. dumb funny). Well, it didn't even do that." -First Spotlight Review

"As a blonde myself, I really should have been offended by this feature-length blonde joke, but hey, this flick is first-rate fluff.The script is surprisingly smart for fluff and is a huge reason for the success of this extended blonde joke. For mindless entertainment, you can't beat this film. 'Legally Blonde' is one of those guilty pleasures you might hate to admit having. Remember, you can always watch it in the privacy of your own home." -Second Spotlight Review (from a "Top 100 Reviewer" no less)

Uh...

Maybe it's me.

But I don't think that either of these two reviewers get this film. Legally Blonde is not a movie trying to make fun of blondes. What would even be the point of that? Nor is it a "dumb comedy," nor is it trying to be. It is not an extended blonde joke. It is not mindless. Nor is, as the second above reviewer mentioned in her write-up, the main character (Elle) mindless.

In fact, the point of the film is that she has a mind. The point is that, despite being blonde and pretty, she still has other skills and abilities (and an incredible amount of compassion and kindness) that people unfairly overlook or dismiss. This is a movie with a heart, a mind, and, my friends, a message. The message isn't devastatingly clever or anything like that, but it's a good, solid one, nonetheless. And, it appears to have been too subtle for the reviewers quoted above.

Usually, this kind of movie is about a nerd or other outcast who falls in love with a beauty and gets unfairly discriminated against by the popular kids on account of his appearance, etc. This is the exact same film, except the roles are reversed. In this movie, the beautiful, pampered prima-donna is trying her darndest to fit in with the smart kids (the nerds) but is constantly rejected on the basis of the same sorts of shallow, prejudicial judgements from which they typically suffer. When she competes for an internship, everyone assumes that she won't have the brains to pull it off. When she gets that internship based on her skills, people assume that she must have slept her way to the top. Along the way, she is constantly humiliated and made fun of, on a large part based on the color of her hair and the way she dresses. We're not supposed to be laughing at her, people; we're supposed to be sympathizing with her (unless, like the cruel "nerds" she encounters, we're too tied up in people's looks).

Whether or not you're particularly receptive to it, this movie is trying to say that we all suffer from rejection, ostracization and prejudice--even the pretty and popular.

Even though the Spotlight Reviews here on Amazon might not reflect the fact, this is not a "mindless extended blonde-joke," nor is it a failed Clueless; this is a story about an outsider fighting for love and struggling to fit in, and yes, she happens to be blonde and pretty and wear lots of pink. To understand it, I guess, requires at least as much heart as the film was made with.

Let me begin by saying I am not normally a fan of the "Clueless" type character, but this is far from what I expected going into this movie. Reese Witherspoon's character "Elle" is a sweet, funny, smart and completely likeable character and has you caring for her and rooting for her to win and prove everyone wrong. After being dumped by her boyfriend Warner because he thought she wasn't smart enough for a future lawyer or senator, she follows him to Harvard determined to win him back. While she struggles with fitting in, she slowly wins over several of her classmates, and proves she is no dumb blonde. This movie is fun, and well worth seeing. I was skeptical about this movie, but don't let the trailer and bad critic reviews turn you off of this bright and funny film.

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Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) is a perky, popular blonde who expects her boyfriend will propose to her the night the movie starts but instead he dumps her because he thinks she's not smart enough and he'll need a smart woman if he wants to run for political office by the time he's 30. Elle loves him and figures the way to get him back is to prove to him that she's smart and to do that, she figures the perfect way would be to get into Harvard Law School where coincidentally her now ex-boyfriend is going. She takes an exam and makes a video for Harvard to see. Surprisingly, she ends up getting in. She doesn't fit in there since her Harvard class-mates are more laid back with their clothing and attitude then Elle is. Elle finds out that her ex-boyfriend has dumped her for a girl that he dated before her. He even calls his new girl the pet name that he used for Elle right in front of Elle. Still Elle is determined to win her man back. To do that, she applies for and gets an internship with her professor's law firm. Her ex-boyfriend and his current girlfriend are on the team too. They help in a case of a woman accused of killing her husband. The woman accused of murder is the person who used to teach Elle's exercise class. Elle knows she's innocent but no one on the team thinks so. Can Elle save her former exercise teacher and prove to her ex-boyfriend, her Harvard Law associates and herself that she's not a dumb blonde? She had gotten straight As and was articulate. If she had been doing poorly and was a bad speaker and then suddenly improved when she got into Harvard, it would have been less believable though a fashion major getting in Harvard Law is still a stretch. It's a very cute movie. It seemed like it could have even gotten a G rating. It might have had a couple profanities but that was it. No sex or violence. The movie was much better than I thought it would be. It was cleverly written in some parts and Reese Witherspoon gave a great performance in it.

Read Best Reviews of Legally Blonde (2011) Here

Buy this movie! Seriously, it is one of the best movies I have ever seen, and most of my friends and family fully support that opinion. So take a chance and buy it!

Reese Witherspoon makes a steller performance as Elle Woods, a drop-dead gorgeous blonde, ditzy as can be, who basically comes to one day and decides to attend Harvard Law School. Why? Because becoming a law student is the only way to win back the love of Warner Huntington III (played by hunk Matthew Davis). And suprisingly, she manages to convince the Harvard admittance committee that her brains . . . or assets . . . will make her an excellent addition to the school. Once she gets to Harvard, however, Elle is shocked to learn that everyone does NOT love her. She faces hard classes for which she is expected to prepare, a professor who tosses her out of class, and finally discovers that Warner got engaged over the summer to a preppy Eastern girl. But Elle is up to the challenge, rocketing to stardom even as a 1L (first-year law student to those not in the club).

My 5-star recommendation comes from my love of a good lawyer joke, and the ability to laugh at our profession. And this movie definitely does that. You get to see that law school is filled with tough classes, hard profs, nasty law students, and stretching one to one's limits. But you also see a woman with a truly good heart rise above all the pettiness she faces, and succeed by being true to herself. A truly enjoyable time for everyone watching.

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.... ...my friend Joyce and I went ...and had a grand time. The number one reason to see the movie is Reese Witherspoon. I've been watching her since her first film, "Man In the Moon," a solid dramatic movie. She showed incredible talent in that film, that continued to show itself in every film of hers to date. This is Witherspoon acting on the entire other end of the spectrum, in very broad comedy, and she pulls it off. She plays Elle, a beauty queen, sorority president and blonde Bel Aire, CA, girl who everyone assumes is a dumb blonde. However, she has a 4.00, albeit in fashion merchandising. When her boyfirend dumps her because she doesn't fit his image for his girlfriend while he's going to Harvard Law School, she applies to the same school and gets in with her 4.0 and high LSATs. She shows up with all of her sorority sensibility and frou frou clothing and accessories and becomes the butt of all the intellectuals' (everyone elses') jokes. How can she get her former boyfriend to see her as an equal at Harvard and will she want him when she does? This is the jist of the movie and it stretches credibility greatly. However, it is a great comic vehicle for Witherspoon and she milks it for all it is worth. When we saw it, it was the #1 movie in the USA and I was so glad that all of her solid work over the years had finally paid off in an enormous hit for her.

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