Hechizo de amor

Finally.....

Through this autumn's movie mediocrity, comes a fresh, fun and deliciously wicked movie by acclaimed actor/director Griffin Dunne. I must first point out that I did not read the book... and also that I am male (drawing attention to this fact since most of my male friends would not be caught DEAD in a male-bashing, chick flick dark comedy that reeks in the celebration of womankind!)

Sondra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are devilishly sexy as the spell-casting sisters doomed to be single for the rest of their natural life... and Stockard Channing and Diane Weist are also enchanting as their aunts that have raised them on chocolate cake and midnight margaritas! Aidan Quinn rounds out the superb cast as a detective determined to find out the truth behind the disappearance of a wanted killer.

With a terrific soundtrack and an equally impressive musical score, Practical Magic will surprise and delight many a filmgoer who delves into the fantasy and fun of being bewitched!

I hate using labels like "chick flick", but one look at the IMDb voting demographics shows that this is literally a chick flick. As of the time I'm writing this, females rate it nearly 2 points higher than males, and in the under 18 group it's even more exaggerated.

Well I'm a guy, and I dug it. If you're flexible enough to appreciate the macho man cheesiness of "Commando" (like Arnold Schwarzenegger riding on the landing gear of a Boeing 747) as well as the chick flick cheesiness of "Pretty Woman" (like Richard Gere riding on the sunroof of a white limo) ...both of which are equal in amounts of cheese but from different perspectives... then I think you can have a fun time watching "Practical Magic". Why? Because it seems to hit us with both extremes.

On the surface, the story seems to be brewing a sinister dark comedy: the Owens women just can't seem to keep men long before they kick the bucket. Tons of potential for a slightly demented "Beetlejuice" kinda story, or even "Heathers". But instead of going in that direction (i.e. treating death as crazy joke), "Practical Magic" takes it quite seriously and is not afraid to get pretty sentimental on the subject. In other words, it takes a very morbid "guy flick" story but treats it with "chick flick" sensitivity.

And that's just the beginning. We haven't gotten to the other dark themes of wife beating, alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity, murder and re-murder. So, you ask, if it has all these disturbing themes and refuses to make light of them, how the heck can this be a comedy? The answer is that the leading ladies, not just Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman but also their crazy aunts played by Stockard Channing and Diane Wiest, act their roles with playful humor and endearing wit. It reminded me a little of "Sex and the City", the way the stories can be downright upsetting, but the humor comes in the way the characters behave despite it all. "Practical Magic" doesn't rely on a silly story for its laughs but instead lets the acting pave the way for levity.

Roger Ebert gave this movie a mostly negative review, saying "the movie doesn't seem sure what tone to adopt, veering uncertainly from horror to laughs to romance." But I think Ebert failed to see that the film's charm is the fact that the characters can indulge in laughs and romance *despite* the horror.

Ebert also criticized: "'Practical Magic' is too scary for children and too childish for adults. Who was it made for?" The answer is it's made for adults who can indulge in childishness. Basically if you get the gist of my review, it's the idea that this film is an unexpected blend of opposites. I have to admit it caught me off guard for a while, but I eventually figured out the rhythm and had a fun ride.

Do NOT expect a sinister, dark comedy. Do NOT expect a totally light-hearted silly romp either. The best way I can describe it would be to compare it to some of the 80s horror-comedies like "Fright Night", "Vamp" or even "Gremlins" but with a dash of "Thelma & Louise". Throw em all together in a giant cauldron and have some fun.

This movie is one of my favorites - I love watching it.

I have to agree with the remarks by AshIsTheGal and Warlen. Nicole Kidman had never been one of my favorite actress either, but I loved her in this movie (as I did Sandra Bullock). The real standouts though were Stockard Channing and Diane Wiest - watching them perform was almost worth the price of admission itself! They are wonderful.

I don't see this movie as being about magic or witchcraft, the romance between Sally and Gary Hallet or even Jimmy Angelov chasing Gillian (which is a huge catalyst - but not really any more than that). For me, this movie is really about the relationships between sisters and women (the Aunts Franny and Jet, Kylie and Antonia, the Owens' women and the townswomen and of course, between Sally and Gillian - both young and adult).

All of the actresses had a great chemistry, but I couldn't believe how well matched Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman were. I felt that their bond was very believable and I loved watching their relationship to each other (and themselves) grow and mature as they went from being children to adults.

I certainly don't think that this film will appeal to everybody, and I can see why so many people "don't get it", but if you watch it more for the relationships between the women and not so much for the romance angle or the magic I think that you will really enjoy this movie. I thought that the romance and magic were handled very well, I just saw them as being secondary to the real story. Also - it has a wonderful soundtrack.

I read the book after seeing the movie, and while there are many changes between the two, I really enjoyed both. I thought that the changes made to the movie made for a better movie overall.

All in all, a very enjoyable movie. I highly recommend it.

Let me start by saying that, overall, this was a pretty good movie. I'm usually not that interested in romantic comedies, but this is one of the better ones. I think the more important aspect of this movie, though, is how it presents modern Paganism (Wicca, in particular).

Coming from a Pagan point of view myself, I've been waiting for this movie to come out with many mixed feelings and misgivings. I was hoping that it wouldn't be another typical witch movie and I must say that I was really pleasantly surprised. It did glamorize the workings of the Wiccan Craft quite a bit, but that's to be expected. How many movies are there that don't do that to their subjects? Take X-files...I'm positive that there's a lot more paperwork than action in the FBI, but you can't make a movie out of filling out forms. If you look past the flashy stuff that was put in to draw audiences and make the movie appeal to the general public, you find a well-researched representation of what Pagans do day-to-day. So even though it wasn't totally true to today's form of Paganism, I must say that it was a step in the right direction of overcoming all the negative PR that Pagans have had to endure all these years. This is the kind of thing that is needed to convince the mass populace that we are not better or worse or dangerous, but just different. So, please, support this movie as part of the on-going campaign to get all of us out of the broom closet.

I have read through more than half of the reviews that have been posted for this film and have been amazed that no one seems to have caught on as to what it's really *about*.

It's NOT about the Magic. It's NOT about the witchcraft. It's NOT about the romance. It's about the power of numbers. In particular, it's about how women grouped together have power to fight the physical abuse of womankind, when a lone victim, with or without one or two relatives or friends, does not. On a lesser level, it's about how women who are not prone to being victimized can help rescue those who are. Everything else is just for flavor. Is a pumpkin pie about the spice? Is a dish served flambe about the alcohol?

This movie contains much food for thought. Comments about whether it does or does not accurately portray the practice of Wicca are so far off the point as to be meaningless.

Superficially, yes, it's fluff, and meant to be fun, and not meant to be taken seriously or as a work of art. But dig a little bit deeper, for goodness sake, and see what's underneath that puffy exterior. There's a lot there!