Women in Trouble

This movie has porn stars in it. This can only be cheesy, right?

Well, there were some good movies around this subject - remember Boogie Nights?

In certain ways, this movie is better behaved than many others that deal with sexual topics: Not a single naked nipple, as far as I could see. And the sex talk is pretty honest.

There is a lot of comic relief in it: Holly, the "dumb" sexy girl provokes a few good laughs, e.g. when she asks whether she's an immortal whore, while meaning immoral.

The acting is professional - nothing bothered me about it. The story has a few nice twists, and kept me interested right from the start.

Overall, this is a movie that not only sports a few sexy looking women but also is quite entertaining bringing up a few real-life situations (mother-child relationships, adultery, responsibility, trust, truth and porn).

It's a movie about women, and the love for them. In a way, it reminds me of Almodovar's films.

Give it a try. You won't be embarrassed!

Women in Trouble is not an exploitation film, or even a parody of one. It's a remarkably clever, literate, surreal comedy-drama that just happens to be set in a daffy world inspired by the culture of trashy porn. Like Pulp Fiction, it twines together a number of overheated and seemingly disconnected narratives. But the comparison is totally unfair - to Tarantino, who, for all his cleverness, will never make a movie as emotionally involving as this one. Or as funny.

It would be almost impossible to summarize this film, or convey its weird charm in a few words. So I won't try. I will warn that a lot of the story hinges on sex - without being *about* sex. Like the best European farces, it takes sex for granted, and never blushes. But it takes that attitude to the next level. Even if you feel you're sexually liberated, you'll need to check your own lingering hangups at the door, in order to keep up with this extremely engaging group of ladies.

This is hands-down one of my favorite films of the past year or two, and that's regardless of budget. See it with an open mind. And be prepared to laugh, cry and be amazed.

True to its title, 2009's "Women In Trouble" is about a bunch of women in 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 is not 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.

I'm not really sure what I saw because this film was a composite of so many different elements. This film was listed under the comedy section from my television video provider. I was unfamiliar with the director, but some of the critiques form IMDb I found interesting, so I gave it a shot. I really believe this director, has a lot of potential. There were some great mise-en-scene; especially the use of rapid fire editorial to punctuate. I was really impressed by the acting, the direction was good, and the script great as well. I laughed and cried, however what really irked me was a lack of cohesion between the disparate vignettes; at times I wondered who edited this movie...other than this pretty good, plus Robyn Hitchcock was involved with the sound track, and this is the first film I have ever see where he contributed. I have been listening to his music for 20 years!

It's an enjoyable process watching the women work things out.

There are lots of great performances here, and good writing, and lots of laughs even though some scenes are quite serious.

While Doris and Elektra are stuck in the elevator with most of their clothes removed due to the heat, they learn about each other in well-written, deep and disturbing discussions.

Connie Britton shows us here why she is one of the few actresses on broadcast TV who can get nominated for an Emmy. Plus she still looks so beautiful; Rayna James in 2015 is starting to show her age.

Adrianne Palicki, who worked with Britton on "Friday Night Lights" (but doesn't have any scenes with her here), shows how talented she is when Holly, who is normally a "dumb blonde" with very clever writing, turns out to be smart about some things. But one of those scenes apparently showing Holly to be smart is actually showing showing how clueless she is. The writing there is great.

Carla Gugino as Elektra and Emmanuelle Chriqui as Bambi both do well in their roles.

I can't remember the bartender's name but the actress does a good job. She's very helpful.

Sarah Clarke makes a very good therapist but may soon end up needing therapy herself.

Cameron Richardson as the pleasant and friendly masseuse also stands out. Darby helps Holly feel better (no, that's NOT what I mean, though Holly does take her clothes off).

I don't recall the name for this technique, but several characters experience seeing numerous images in only a few seconds. The slow-motion button on TiVo is your friend.

Do NOT leave during the closing credits. I wondered why I didn't remember Joseph Gordon-Levitt when I saw his name. Bert Rodriguez interviews our two porn stars AFTER the credits, and that's a must-see!

This whole movie is really worth seeing.