Coisas de Meninos e Meninas

if you get over the fact that the human body neglects its own hormonal instincts of the host and transports the brain of a different owner and get over the fact that basically the people are practically falling in love with themselves and are over the idea that they are interested in someone who looks exactly like them as the movie progresses (not really hard things to get over because it's a movie and genre that is reliant on the suspension of disbelief -- esp. if you liked something as cute and fun as "she's the man") then i think this movie is tremendous with a kind of weak ending (in execution, not in conclusion).

i think this movie is tremendous in moments but i never really laughed. the strength is in the lead actors really and probably the dad of the girl who was pretty cool. the theme of the movie is positive and i guess if you boil things down its all about trust. trust in following the characters, attaching yourselves to them (while knowing the ending) and trust in deciding to leave your brain at the door. i recommend this movie.

I have to admit first that I am a fan of this genre, although when I went in I was expecting something pretty run-of-the-mill. However, this is no teen B-movie but is actually a really funny premise and has a story with a surprising amount of emotional depth. I'm surprised no-one has made a movie about this before, but they haven't. It seems quite an obvious premise. A boy and girl who despise each other, end up swapping bodies and are thus forced to deal with each other's lives. It's like Freaky Friday but with a bit more edge and all the adolescent teen stuff which is what keeps it fresh. Whilst this stuff is funny it is the love story that really gets you and I was amazed to find myself getting emotionally drawn into the characters. Not often I say that about an American teen movie. Only negative is Sharon Osbourne who kind of pulls you out of the movie a bit, but other than a satisfying movie experience and a really pleasant surprise.

Body swap movies are nothing new and here the premise is the same; what raises it above are the two central perfromances which are strong and the overall sense of fun mixed with some good tackling of stereotypes...

While pretty much forgettable, while watching we found it fun and charming and full of the right kinds of energies.

If you've got young teenagers but still want a film you can all watch - and aren't embarrassed by the sexual innuendo that runs through this - then this is not a bad choice.

Watchable.

The next door neighbors Nell Bedworth (Samaire Armstrong) and Woody Deane (Kevin Zegers) have opposite behaviors and hate each other: the virgin geek Nell is polite, sensitive and well-prepared to go to Yale, while Woody is rude and his greatest expectation is to join a mediocre university due to his abilities playing football. When Nell and Woody are assigned to visit together a museum, they argue in front of the statue of an Aztec god. During the night, their souls swap bodies, bringing difficult situations to them. They first try to damage the reputation of the other in the high-school, but sooner they discover that their dream of joining college would only happen with mutual respect and support.

There are many movies of swapping bodies; therefore "It's a Boy Girl Thing" is not original. However this predictable story is very funny and this movie is an enjoyable entertainment. Samaire Armstrong and Kevin Zegers show a great chemistry and have excellent performances. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Coisas de Meninos e Meninas" ("Things of Boys and Girls")

The actors are mostly likable. The plot is amiable enough too. Thing is, it's been done before, and done much better. Consider Debbie Reynolds and Toni Curtis in 'Goodbye Charlie' (1964), or the Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin masterpiece, 'All of Me', where he acts out the movie while being possessed by a woman. Or one-hit-wonder Joyce Hyser's 'Just One of the Guys', where she becomes a guy (I forget why). Or the semi-good 'The Hot Chick', with the creepy Rob Schneider and the ever-so-hot babe, Anna Farris. All those movies explored the notion of girls and boys living in each other's bodies. Weener jokes, 'Hey, I got tits!' jokes, stumbling in high heels, 'delicate flower' young ladies belching at the formal dinner table, etc., etc. There is even a cinemagraphic grammar about that whole thing by now.

Not to say there wasn't some appeal here. The cast is likable. Although the dude did seem really, really gay, even when he was not being possessed by a girl, but supposedly his own male self. I couldn't tell the difference. But the young woman actor who had to play a guy trapped in a girl's body managed really well. But there was also the obligatory black guy side kick, bitchy bimbo girl rivals, an unsympathetic 'Desperate Housewives' type mom, and cool slob parents, played by Sharon Osbourne (yaaay!) and Maury Chaykin (also yaay, but for different reasons).

All in all, nothing 'wrong'. Nothing unpleasant nor unlikeable. Just kind of shallow, and very derivative. There was a group of what seemed to be 14 year old kids sitting up in the back of the movie theater I attended, and they laughed and oohed and ahhhed a little bit at some lame-ish jokes. Well, great! I hope they liked it. But I suspect that they are probably the major audience that would find this movie appealing or interesting. And that's OK. I gave it a 5 out of 10--- nothing bad, but also nothing great... just ordinary.