Was Frauen wollen

A new creative director (Helen Hunt) is hired by an ad agency (run by Alan Alda) to bring it up to date by appealing to the women's market. Mel Gibson, an account executive and a real man's man, was slated for that position, and he wants to get rid of Hunt. At her first staff meeting, Hunt gives each person a package of various women's products, and each must come up with a campaign for at least one of the items.

At home, Gibson tries out the products in a tour de force of cross-dressing. Funny, if not roll on the floor hilarious, and he does it with an aplomb that makes it look so easy that you at the very least have to admire his skill. In the process, Gibson falls into a tub, followed by a live hair dryer, and receives a shock that alters his brain so that he can hear the thoughts of women. As a result, he bowls everyone over, especially Hunt, with his creative insight into the women's market. Now he's got her right where he wants her...or so he thinks. But creative insight turns out to be a two-edged sword.

I liked this one a lot more than I thought I would. It reminded me of one of those late 50's early 60's romantic comedies, at least in its earlier scenes. In fact, I liked it so much that it made me feel sorry for Woody Allen. His "Curse of the Jade Dragon" suffers by comparison. I mention it, because Allen's film also stars Helen Hunt and, interestingly, has a similar situation–a woman is hired on to bring a company up to date, and she threatens to disrupt the man's career. Even mind-alteration is involved, although of a different kind.

I think the mind-reading premise is brilliant and is set in just the right context, and Hunt and Gibson played off each other very well. I've seen Mel Gibson on a couple of Jay Leno shows, and he seemed ill-at-ease and sometimes a little abrupt, as though he were either very shy, not too bright, or for some reason just didn't want to be there. But what a difference when he's on screen and playing a role that in bygone days would have been filled by Jack Lemmon or Tony Randall or Rock Hudson. Ok, maybe he's not the all-round actor that Lemmon was, but he fit that particular role perfectly. And he even does a bit of a Gene Kelly routine!

I think most of the other comments I've seen are over-analyzing this light movie. It's a cute fantasy about a male chauvinist transformed into a nice guy by developing (inadvertently) some sensitivity. Women want nice looking guys to be nice GUYS, too. I'm not sure why anyone would need much more in the movie.

The humor is good and Gibson does some amusingly self-effacing stuff and some slick dancing. I thought Helen Hunt was quite believable as the climbing ad exec. I agree with some of the other comments about Tomei deserving a better part but she does what she can with her role.

I thought the relationship development between Gibson and his daughter was interesting, too (albeit accelerated).

Other comments mention the length of the movie, but I was fine with it. It seemed fine to me.

If you're like me and you appreciate the "personal transition" type of movie (my favorite: Groundhog Day), then this is a good fit. This is a movie to help you unwind.

If you are looking for psychological insight into the unfulfilled desires of women and the blatantly unsatisfactory male response, this will disappoint. But watch it anyway -- you probably need to unwind.

It is not easy to start from a funny idea like this, write a script for 90 minutes, get some humour and end up with a perfect bake.

In fact, it's easy to go wrong somewhere along the way, last too long, make it too slapstick, or too serious, and then after 25 minutes people know they shouldn't have paid for their seat.

This film - about a man suddenly endowed with hearing women's thoughts - is a favourite rerun at Christmas, and I still watch it (ok not in full, I have a life too) instead of changing channels because it's still funny.

Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt are really good there, they just coined it and you wish there were more unpretentious (but with a tiny bit of depth and message) comedies like this around.

"What Women Want" has a unusual plot which also makes us (men) think: what do women really want? The final conclusion is that they want happiness, just like men.

Despite being a predictable movie and nothing extraordinary, at least it teaches to us (men) some valuable lessons about women. It's a good way to understand and know them better.

The first hour of this movie is great fun, very entertaining and pure comedy. During the first hour we have some moments to give us good laughs. Mel Gibson has never been this funny before. He plays a hilarious character: Nick Marshall, a typical "macho men" or a "men's man". The kind of man that other men admire and want to be like him. The kind of man who doesn't understand a thing about women (although seen as a "God's gift" to women). Nick is proud, rich, chauvinistic, single and loves to hear Frank Sinatra.

After an accident with the hairdryer, he suddenly has the power of hearing what women think and what they think of him isn't what he expected. He sees this as a curse, but after being convinced by a psychologist that he could take advantage of this gift, he uses it to manipulate Darcy McGuire.

However, in the second half, the movie fails, becoming predictable and somehow lame, losing all its comical side. Some ridiculous and silly things happen in the second half. Also, I rather the "old" Nick than the "good" Nick, because the "old" Nick was much funnier. He becomes the "good guy" in the second half, losing his sense of humor.

This movie has some nice songs, such as "I Won't Dance" (performed by Frank Sinatra), "I've Got You Under My Skin" (performed by Frank Sinatra in a duet with Bono) and "Bitch" (performed by Meredith Brooks).

Mel Gibson is great and charming as Nick Marshall, while Helen Hunt is okay and pretty in the role of Darcy McGuire.

When this movie started, I didn't know if I would like it, although it had a very powerful beginning. But eventually (around the part I mentioned) I realized that it's very funny. And you've gotta love the romance!

Mel Gibson is Nick Marshall, a womanizer who at the same time doesn't understand women at all. When the womanliest of all women, Darcy Maguire (Helen Hunt), starts to work with his company, she assigns everyone to think of advertising ideas for at least one feminine item in the boxes she gives them (pantyhose, lipstick, mascara, a wonderbra, nail polish, etc.). Nick tries to think, but instead gets drunk and paints his nails, tries on the mascara and pantyhose, and yes, waxes his legs. That night, a freak accident occurs in his apartment, and then he can hear what women are thinking. He uses this asset to steal Darcy's ideas, and at the same time falls in love with her.

Besides Gibson and Hunt's performances, there are three other reasons I love this movie. One, Marisa Tomei, who is perky and cute as Nick's previous uninterested love interest, a coffee-shop girl named Lola. But just when Nick gets less desperate for her and more so for Darcy, Lola discovers that she really does like him. Two, Ashley Johnson, who is demanding but lovable as Nick's teenage daughter from a previous marriage. He can hear her thoughts, too, and finds out that she's planning to lose her virginity on prom night. Although he tries to stop her, she eventually learns the lesson on her own. Three, it has an awesome soundtrack. Frank Sinatra, the Temptations, Nancy Wilson, and Bobby Darin sing old classics, while Christina Agulera and Meredith Brooks perform fairly new hits.

Anybody who likes comedy, romance, or just a great movie should see "What Women Want." I think it's one of the few unisex romantic comedies (not chick flicks) there are, so it's a great date movie.