ViewGuide

Created Jun 04, 2008 02:31AM PST • Edited Mar 30, 2015 08:08AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Very Good 3.5

   Don’t let the crummy title scare you away from this surprisingly fun romantic comedy starring the ever charming Michelle Pfeiffer and featuring the fast-times wit of Amy Heckerling. Apparently this movie never made it into American theaters, though it did gross $24 million in Brazil. Those Brazilians were right on the money, as I Could Never Be Your Woman delivers plenty of laughs and allure.

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   Michelle Pfeiffer, gorgeous and charismatic as ever, ably commands the screen as a lovelorn single mom dealing with her tween daughter’s romantic obsessions and her own desires and insecurities. Paul Rudd proves himself as gifted a physical comedian as he is a verbal one. Saoirse Ronan, the ratty little sister in Atonement, here plays an appealing Hollywood kid (oxymoron though that is).

   Amongst the many cameos and supporting players (Jon Lovitz, Sally Kellerman, Tracey Ullman, Henry Winkler), Fred Willard stands out. The guy would be funny reading the phone book.

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

6. Female Stars Great 4.0

7. Female Costars OK 2.5

8. Male Costars Very Good 3.5

10. Film

    Good 3.0

    Writer-director Amy Heckerling lampoons Southern California as ably as any modern filmmaker, a point she proved in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, again in Clueless and now here in Never Be Your Woman. The superficial sophistication, the smug liberalism, the obsession with youth: all the mannerisms of our pop culture capital are jokingly on display.

11. Direction Good 3.0

12. Play Very Good 3.5

13. Music Good 3.0

14. Visuals Very Good 3.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Tame 1.3

17. Sex Titillating 1.6

18. Violence Gentle 1.0

19. Rudeness Polite 1.4

21. Reality

    Glib 1.2

    Art imitates reality in this movie about Hollywood types obsessed with appearing young. Michelle Pfeiffer – 47 when the movie was made – plays a 40 year old who pretends she’s in her 30s to avoid scaring off a younger man. Paul Rudd – 36 when the movie was made – plays the supposedly 29 year old younger man. Stacey Dash – 40 when the movie was made – plays an actress who stars in a high school sitcom.

    The most unreal element is the notion that a smart beauty like Michelle Pfeiffer would ever be lovelorn.

22. Circumstantial Glib 1.3

23. Biological Glib 1.3

24. Physical Natural 1.0