Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000)
In California, a group of women struggle with personal problems as their paths intertwine in unexpected ways. Dr. Elaine Keener, the sole caretaker for her aging mother, turns to tarot card reader Christine for spiritual aid. Christine grapples with her own angst due to her lover's debilitating illness. Meanwhile, a bank manager deals with an unwanted pregnancy, two sisters pursue romantic interests and a housewife gets back into the dating game.
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Very well executed
Sick Product of a Sick System
This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.
The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
The cable company just added another one of those lower-tier free-movie channels, and it aired this gem. It caught my eye briefly when I spotted several lesser actors from the mid-90's. Like the dwarf from Seinfeld. The girlfriend in Rain Man. The wife from Picket Fences who always looked ready to burst into tears for no reason. Ally Mc Beal, as sickly-looking as ever. Along with some bigger names like Holly Hunter (in her younger, hotter days) and Cameron Diaz. And Glenn Close as an abortionist? Well, you can't win 'em all.This is your typical free-movie channel movie. Just totally pointless. You wait and wait for the theme to become clear, and it just never does. The guy who works at the bank got some action in two parts of the movie. I guess that's something.Wikipedia was just as confused about this movie as I was, so I came here. The reviews that try to portray this as something of value, are laughable.
Since today is Glenn Close's 60th birthday, I wanted to talk about one of her lesser known movies. Directed by Gabriel Garcia Marquez's son Rodrigo, "Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her" interweaves the stories of several women. Close plays a doctor having to care for her mother. Kathy Baker, Cameron Diaz, Calista Flockhart, Valeria Golino, Holly Hunter and Elpidia Carrillo play some of the other women.At times, the movie gets confusing, what with the various plots crossing paths, but I still found it worthy. Some people might compare "TYCTJBLAH" to "Short Cuts" and "The Hours", but I beg to differ. This one never gets cynical like "Short Cuts" (although the latter was still worth seeing) and isn't a downer like "The Hours" (although the latter was still worth seeing). Despite having a bunch of stars, this movie never feels like the sort of movie that collects a bunch of stars to show them off; the looks at the women's relationships ensure that the film has a more realistic feeling.Anyway, I recommend it, but don't expect a religious experience.
There is a lot good about this movie. The acting is exceptional by all, especially the leading women. The direction is well done. I thought the pace of the film was good. For a character-driven movie, the pace was right on, but perhaps a little slow for the MTV generation.The plot was OK, but the characters didn't have much of an arc. We got to see a slice of their lives, but we didn't see a lot of evolution in the characters. I had expected some sort of climax where we got to see an intersection in these people's lives that was more profound than the superficial interactions that we got to see.While I found it to be an OK movie, I was a little disappointed and unfulfilled. There was a potential here for a substantially better film.
The only other movie I've ever been moved to write a comment for was Mission to Mars. Unlike MtM, which I was moved to review due to it being one of the very worst movies I've ever seen, this one is truly touching. Things You Can Tell... is a testimony that an American movie, with well-known American actors, can be delicate, beautifully acted, and most of all, not chewed and explained to death. It does not regard its viewers as braindead; neither does it regard them as artsy. It is a movie for everyone, about people just like us.This is not an art-house movie - the story plot is a collection of stories about the everyday lives of everyday women (the reviewer who said she never seen such repulsive characters might be in for a shock if she actually talks to her daughter / mother / sister).It shows women beautifully, and absolutely believably. It also shows nicely that diversity is not a question of the skin color, but of the attitude (hence the stories feature only white women).It's also not a chick flick - while certainly it will be loved by women, it also works for cynical, hard to move guys like me.Watch it, it's really good, in a not-in-your-face, subtle way.