Dr. T & The Women
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Movie Reviews of Dr. T & The Women
Movie Review: WATCHABLE, PAST GERE'S ACCENT & THE DOOZY FINALE
Summary: 3 Stars
Like much of Robert Altman's work, this one's quite a hit and miss movie, but worth seeing for some good performances, a handful of genuinely funny scenes, and some of the master's typical ensemble sequences with all hell breaking loose while everybody talks at once. It is probably unhelpful to approach it as though it was a full-blooded satire on wealthy Texas women. For a start, the target is too easy - like the floating and walking birds Dr T and his buddies seem to think it's fair to shoot at - and in any case the focus of the film is not the Women of the title, but Dr T.Richard Gere gives a typically charming and understated, performance as Dr Travis, who is surrounded by women whom he likes and respects in private life, and cares for in his professional life as a gynecologist, but no more understands than most men. Farrah Fawcett gives a touching portrayal as his wife, who retreats into childhood to escape his smothering affection. Helen Hunt, an independently-minded intelligent golf pro, provides a refreshing change - both for Dr T and the audience - from the empty-headed shopaholics who people much of the movie. Laura Dern, Kate Hudson and Shelley Long sparkle as, respectively, Dr T's sister-in-law, daughter and receptionist. As we might expect from Altman, the city of Dallas also plays a leading role; and the best casting is definitely that of Eric Ryan as the "birth baby".
What probably made the movie the flop that it turned out to be was that in a typical Altman way (Pret A Porter?) it meanders on and on, with quite a few side-plots introduced (including an aging ex-wife who obviously has health problems but we never find out if they're mental or physical), but the movie never really comes to a point, nor do we see any sensible conclusion to the side-plots. And, the ending is so far-fetched it borders on the realm of sci-fi/fantasy, especially if you know ANYTHING about the geography of Texas or the Southern United States.
If you approach it with the programmed expectations of a typical audience, you'll be disappointed. This is a long way from the vintage Altman of Mash, Nashville and The Player. But, it is still richer than most Hollywood fare and would probably make a decent rental.
Movie Review: Beautifully filmed comedy
Summary: 3 Stars
In the special features interview, Altman discusses how a film is never seen in isolation, but is compared to whatever else is out there culturally and how his past output creates a certain amount of baggage and expectation. As a veteran of the business, he seemed philosophical about the process and saw time as a friend. I haven't seen any of his contemporary films and his seventies work is more of a distant memory so I was able to view 'Dr T' on it's merits. I thought it was a wonderful, touching comedy. The first half is languid and therefore testing. I was interested in Dr T as a character, but only moderately interested in his day. Perhaps the verisimilitude of the women's hairstyles and dress created a homogeneity amongst the characters that was confusing for a time. It all comes together in a funny second half with a finely judged performance from Gere. The charge of mysogyny puzzles me as I found the picture quite affectionate, unless you want to take the final exhortation as some universal statement rather than the wry, character driven epiphany it actually is. I did not find Gere's affair seemingly out of character for a man who claims to respect women, merely prescient of his ambivalence. The Wizard Of Oz like denouement has been problematic for some, but I thought the way it was shot was inspired from a comic standpoint, as was his complete inability to escape his lot in life. On the strength of this, Altman is one of the few directors working today with an original and brilliant vision. If he may not like all humanity (who could?) He is at least interested in it.I also found the film informative in other ways. I had always wondered how men and women actually get to go to bed with one another. This film takes you through the entire process and in the unlikely event I manage to get away from the PC and find myself in a similar situation, thanks to Mr Altman, I will at least have some clue as to what to do. The film does not cover the morning after aspect of the whole event but perhaps 'Gosford Park' will enlighten me further. I hear it's jolly good. And British, too.
Movie Review: What do Altman films with"Women" in the title have in common
Summary: 3 Stars
If you have even a passing knowledge of the cinema, then it should come as no surprise that a Robert Altman movie is by definition, as the Amazon critic above has noted, a "loose-limbed" affair. His modus operandi is to get together a talented cast, give them the outlines of a scene and let them improvise a good deal of it. Sometimes it works brilliantly (MASH, NASHVILLE, McCABE & MRS MILLER) and sometimes it falls flat, but even when he stumbles, he is at least interesting. DR. T. & THE WOMEN is not one of his great successes, but it isn't quite the failure that a lot of the reviewers below (and elsewhere) suggest.If this movie was marketed as a light comedy and not as another Altman experiment, then it is understandable that a good chunk of the viewing audience would feel like they've been ripped off. There are many comic--and some downright loopy--moments, but this is not a hardy har har Hollywood comedy, or even a rambunctious nouvelle-comedie a la the Farrellys. I don't even know if it really should be called "a barbed social commentary," since that term doesn't really seem to do justice to Altman's jaundiced worldview. The oft-cited misogyny is actually a more-inclusive misanthropy (hey, those duck hunters aren't exactly appealing either). As for Gere's Dr. T himself, he is, as others have noted, charming, affable, and seemingly on top of the world--until his world falls apart at the proverbial seams. Through it all, Gere maintains something of his own (I imagine) real-life Buddhist serenity, until he doesn't. It's a an intriguing performance by an often underrated actor.
The film's abrupt non-sequitor dreamlike ending evokes THE WIZARD OF OZ, only with Mexicans instead of Munchkins. It's also reminiscent of another Altman film about women, 1977's brooding, poetic THREE WOMEN, which also ended in a dreamy idyll. Both seem to have something to do with escape from your stereotypical "American Dream turned nightmare," both seem somehow too to end up in some poetic realm beyond such notions.
Movie Review: Not the brightest of movies, but the unusual ending rescues it
Summary: 3 Stars
Richard Gere stars as an overworked gynecologist whose clientele is largely rich women that demand that they be pampered. At times his waiting room resembles a kindergarten class where each child is demanding immediate time on the overwhelmingly popular toy. His wife, superbly played by Farrah Fawcett, has rapidly degenerated into a childlike state, reaching the point where he has no choice but to institutionalize her. One of his daughters is going to get married soon and there are several other relatives in various states of need.
Into all of this, the good Dr. T. meets a recently arrived female golf pro played by Helen Hunt and a romance rapidly develops. It is a very modern romance, Gere is still wearing his wedding ring and the first time he is at the golf pro's apartment, she walks naked in his view from one room to the shower.
Dr. T. also has his male buddies that he goes hunting with. They are very good friends, yet while their ties are deep, they are also tenuous. As the movie progresses, it is natural to believe that it will end with some dramatic and romantic scene where the Gere character sweeps the Hunt character off her feet to the background of some soft music. Fortunately, that is not the case, the ending is unusual and completely unexpected, and an event that in my opinion made this move. Rather than go the route of the formulaic ending, Altman chooses to go a bit weird, whisking the Gere character off against his will to an extremely isolated location. When the movie ends, you have no idea whether what you are seeing is supposed to be real or a post death fantasy of the Gere character.
Movie Review: Not the worst..but not the best......
Summary: 3 Stars
I happen to have seen this movie finally. I thought Dr. T's wife ..Farrah Fawcett was definitely miscast in her role. She just appeared to be "acting" her role...she did not at all come off as being natural...(naturally drunk.. maybe)but not natural in her ability. The rest of the cast i thought did at least some justice to their roles; despite not dealing with the greatest script ever written....The one thing that i've heard some of the women say in response to this movie is that the women are portrayed in a very negative light...that they are portrayed as irrational, stupid, self-centered, unreasonable chattering hens etc. But the last time i checked..lampooning characters.. and giving them bloated chacteristics has been the VERY common thread used in comedies..dating all the way back to the Greek Comedies/Dramas. It's all a part of the satirical nature and narrative. What? attempt a comedy with completely "normal" characters? How does that work? Please enlighten me..What i find absurdly ridiculous is the blatant hypocrisy with the womens attitudes'. Keeping things in perspective...when the table is turned and it is the men in movies who are shown as irrational, dim , lazy, stupid..etc.( understandibly in a comedic context)and in contrast..the women are depicted as levelheaded, sensitve human beings, these same women don't voice their displeasure about these circumstances. So, it would seem that some women can't tolerate dirisiveness of other women..but it's completely tolerable if it involves men...hypocrisy, hypocrisy, hypocrisy...Anyway, i'd still recommend this movie.