She-Devil - La Diable

Meryl Streep sparkles in this critically-drubbed adaptation of Fay Weldon's book (previously filmed as a mini-series for British television). Streep plays a Barbara Cartland-like romance novelist who steals the accountant-husband of put-upon housewife Roseanne Barr, who methodically extracts revenge on her spouse and the coolly conniving authoress. Shapeless, rather bedraggled comedy, but Roseanne (to her credit) performs in a lower key here than on television and has a few affecting moments. Streep is a colorful villainess (no surprise), while Sylvia Miles and Linda Hunt do lively work in supporting roles before vanishing once the script no longer has use for them. The one casting mistake is Ed Begley Jr. As Roseanne's cheating husband; Begley gives a good performance, but he and Streep look too much alike (they could be siblings). The movie is episodic and tiresome, but is nearly worth-seeing for Streep's Golden Globe-nominated work; she's deliciously devilish. ** from ****

I thought She-Devil was going to be incredibly stupid, but sometimes having low expectations is the best way to be pleasantly surprised by a movie. It was actually pretty funny, and just like the quirky comedy Death Becomes Her, it was fun to see Meryl Streep letting her hair down and having fun with something light.

Rosanne Barr starts the movie married to Ed Begley, Jr., but when his head gets turned by the famous, glamorous romance novelist Meryl Streep, she loses him. There's always trouble in paradise, and Meryl soon finds that out after she steals Ed away. While she was once known for her novels that swept female readers off to exotic locales, once she becomes more domestic, she changes her writing style. In her new book, Meryl writes of a housewife who fills her day with laundry and cleaning, and her sales take a quick nosedive. Meanwhile, Rosanne isn't ready to take her abandonment lying down, and she plots a revenge scheme that will make both of them sorry they ever met.

If you've ever been a wronged woman, gather up a bunch of girlfriends and pour the cocktails. This one's fun, soapy, and fluffy!

I will admit from the outset that I have a soft spot for the trio of Seidelman films made in the mid-80's and early 90's-- Desperately Seeking Susan, Making Mr. Right, and this film. There is something playful and quite outrageous about all three of the aforementioned movies with She Devil being the funniest due to great performances by the entire cast, even Roseanne Barr. Although this movie was disregarded by most critics and ignored at the box office, it is truly a funny film with its cartoon-like situations and over-the-top characters. Regardless of what everyone says, check out this film, especially when you find yourself in the mood for a cute and campy movie that is reminiscent of some of the great comedies of the 80's, such as Ruthless People.

She-Devil was trumped-up as Roseanne Barr's movie debut!In just a few years our favorite chubby housewife rose from being a stand-up comic performing in bars to having her own TV series and at last co-starring in a major motion picture with the immortal Meryl Streep!The movie itself is rather silly and farfetched!Roseanne is essentially playing herself as a put-apon housewife! But the real surprise is Meryl Streep! She delivers a searing,self-mocking performance as narcissisitic romance novelist Mary Fisher.She plays this role flawlessly!! As a prissy,bluenose diva she reacts hilariously to every twist and turn of the movie's silly storyline!Actually mocking every role she's played before!Roseanne holds her own nicely-but it would't have been possible without Meryl Streep!!

Reading the comments for this film, two aspects appear as the concentration to the films perceived flaws. The one is a lack of sympathy for Roseanne's character, Ruth. The other is a lack of appreciation for Meryl Streep's performance. Having watched this film many times since it's release, I think I can safely dispute this argument.

This film certainly I feel has all the markings of a cult favorite. It's dark humor, over charged performances as well as the overall look and feel wedges it someplace between "Heathers" and "Ruthless People". More on the nuances that I feel set this film apart from others later, but lets first deal with the Roseann/Streep problem.

Quite frankly, I see no problem. Meryl Streep's Mary Fisher is one of the screens funniest inventions. It seems quite clear to me that she enjoyed playing this role because there is no other way such a wonderful performance could have been created. On a number of occasions, there are lengthy shots with no change of camera where she drives through a range of hilarious emotions. How she handles a scene involving a dog licking her feet while she awakes is tremendous. I feel it is one of her strongest performances; she never turns it off, and always delivers it in the correct dosage.

The issue with Roseanne's character, Ruth, is she is seen as manipulative, uncaring, a monster hell bent on revenge. Ruth, like everything else in this picture is a caricature. This is very much the sort of role we would expect from Roseanne, the domestic goddess taking it all a step further. True, she does wallow in a mean spirited negativity, but it results in a positive outcome for nearly all involved. She takes control of her life and liberates Linda Hunts Nurse Hopper as well as countless women through her Vespa Rose Employment Agency. She returns life to the geriatrics in her care at a nursing home. As a result of Ruth's revenge, Mary Fisher at last becomes recognized as the serious writer she wished to from the start. We even know that Begley's Bob Patchett gets his comeuppance, and accepts it with grace and humility.

There are dozens of touches brought here which make this a movie so enjoyable to watch. Firstly, there is the remarkable physical change in many of the characters as the story progresses. Roseanne goes from looking like a reject from a freak show to a rather zaftig Joan Collins. Linda Hunt and Sylvia Miles likewise transform, and Streep goes from a pink, frosted confection of a romance novelist, to a black turtle necked, bespectacled writer with a gift for the "post modern metaphor". A certain tone is set when the establishing shot of Mary Fisher "pink palace by the sea" reveals her initials, M F, emblazoned on the massive gate. Streep is given countless occasions to do great business for the camera, as in a scene where her complete lack of comprehension in doing laundry leads her to put half a gallon of bleach and several dryer sheets in a washing machine. Best of all, she manages to give the finger to the "serious critics" while on the Sally Jesse Raphale Show. I honestly don't feel this film is as bad as many would like one to think. If you sit back, and let it unfold as I believe it was intended to, you will find a clever picture that has just the correct amount of overarched villainy and cynicism as many of our favorite black comedies.