The Witches Of Eastwick ( * * * * )
This movie got me thinking: am I a member of the first generation of Americans who will look back on their childhoods and wish they had been forced to read more? I saw Witches in the theater, but once it came out on VHS (or, more accurately, was dubbed onto a blank VHS) I must have spent half a summer watching it. Everyone is entitled to one movie they've seen more than they reasonably should have, and this is mine. I've seen this movie dozens of times, making it oddly hard to review. But here goes.
The Acting: This is Jack Nicholson's best role, in my book. His acidic monologue about women, performed to a church full of people while covered in chicken feathers, cherry-flavored liquid vomit and dirt from being whippped across town via voodoo magic, is one of the best, most perfect scenes in film history. When he asks of God creating women, "was it a mistake, or did he do it to us on purpose?" and compares women to tidal waves, earthquakes, and floods, you know he means every hilarious word. The witches, including Michelle Pfeiffer at her hottest outside of Batman Returns, Cher at her funniest and Susan Sarandon at her most tolerable, are excellent.
The Story: Jack Nicholson is created as a sort of consensus reality of what three desperate women's dream man would be, and Carel Struyken is his loyal man-servant. He is, in reality, a dark demon come to propogate his species and, I dunno, destroy mankind or something. He doesn't get that far. Too much women trouble, as a threesome with the Witches leads to backstabbing, doll making, cherry pit-vomiting, bagels and ice cream, impossible pregnancy, a ridonculous car chase where Nicholson chases his own car while trying to drive it, and a final showdown that defies credulity.
The Direction: George Miller, who brought us two talking pig movies and three (soon four) Mad Max films, does a beautiful job, and every shot is perfectly framed and lovely. Small towns either look really inviting or really shitty in movies, and Eastwick has a charm all its own. And not just because hot, desperate housewives with magical powers live there. There are also Snowy Egrets.
Overall: A personal favorite, and one of the most egalitarian films ever made. The male and female characters all have a point of view informed, but not ruled by, their gender, and there is humor in the truth and drama in the humor.
Tredekka Rules:
The Acting: This is Jack Nicholson's best role, in my book. His acidic monologue about women, performed to a church full of people while covered in chicken feathers, cherry-flavored liquid vomit and dirt from being whippped across town via voodoo magic, is one of the best, most perfect scenes in film history. When he asks of God creating women, "was it a mistake, or did he do it to us on purpose?" and compares women to tidal waves, earthquakes, and floods, you know he means every hilarious word. The witches, including Michelle Pfeiffer at her hottest outside of Batman Returns, Cher at her funniest and Susan Sarandon at her most tolerable, are excellent.
The Story: Jack Nicholson is created as a sort of consensus reality of what three desperate women's dream man would be, and Carel Struyken is his loyal man-servant. He is, in reality, a dark demon come to propogate his species and, I dunno, destroy mankind or something. He doesn't get that far. Too much women trouble, as a threesome with the Witches leads to backstabbing, doll making, cherry pit-vomiting, bagels and ice cream, impossible pregnancy, a ridonculous car chase where Nicholson chases his own car while trying to drive it, and a final showdown that defies credulity.
The Direction: George Miller, who brought us two talking pig movies and three (soon four) Mad Max films, does a beautiful job, and every shot is perfectly framed and lovely. Small towns either look really inviting or really shitty in movies, and Eastwick has a charm all its own. And not just because hot, desperate housewives with magical powers live there. There are also Snowy Egrets.
Overall: A personal favorite, and one of the most egalitarian films ever made. The male and female characters all have a point of view informed, but not ruled by, their gender, and there is humor in the truth and drama in the humor.
Tredekka Rules:
- Rule 4: Sweet Actor Bonus--Jack Nicholson, +1 star. Say what you want about Jack, but he's never boring.
- Rule 5: Spitting = Good Acting. Thanks to the witches' "cheap trick" there's fire hydrants worth of magical cherry pit puke, and plenty of drool. It's even set to music by John Williams. +1 point.
- Rule 6: Over The Top Acting Award--Jack Nicholson, +2 points.
Tredekka Score: ( * * * * )
posted by Tredekka at 10:57 PM
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