Switch (1991)

Excellent but underrated film

Absolutely the worst movie.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Advertising exec. Steve Brooks, a sexist male chauvinist pig, is invited to a party by a lady friend who suggestively tells him the only other guests will be two other women who he is fond of. The party gets sexy when the four get into a hot tub, but together they bind and murder him. God and the Devil aren't sure where his soul belongs, so they tell him that he will be allowed to return to life for a limited time in order for him to find one woman who likes him. If he doesn't find at least one, he will go to Hell. In order that he can't just use his ability to charm women to find one that doesn't know him, they bring him back as a woman. She retains his memory and chooses to call herself Amanda Brooks.Ellen Barkin has a remarkable performance as a womanizer in a woman's body. There is a vast difference in personalities between Barkin's Amanda/Steve and Julie Andrews' Victor/Victoria.Lorraine Bracco also is great in her quiet understated role as major cosmetics client Sheila Faxton.In addition to watching some great performances, the movie has some pretty funny bits, although some got repetitive. In particular, I thought the the bit about Amanda stumbling when wearing high heels was repeated too often. Regarding the stiletto heels, why would Amanda continue to choose the highest of stiletto heels? Also, while obviously gorgeous, I don't think then 37-year old Ellen Barkin looked as strikingly sexy as Amanda as the male characters (and Amanda herself) thought she did. She didn't seem as hot as the younger actresses who planned Steve's murder.The resolution at the ending also was somewhat disappointing to me.

Steve Brooks (Perry King) is a notorious womanizer, he thinks that all woman loves him but he is dead wrong. One night, three woman throws him an surprise party but they actually succeed murdering him. Now Steve finds himself between Heaven and Hell... He hears the voices of angels telling him, he can go to Heaven if he can find one woman, who can love him. The next day, Steve wakes up from his bed like nothing happens. But the Devil (Bruce Payne) makes an deal with the angels to make him suffer for his mistakes and to become an attractive woman (Ellen Barkin). When Steve wanted to take an leak, he finds out, he has no penis and now he realized he is a woman. Now Steve calls himself/herself Amanda. Amanda takes over Steve's job and he/she finds out that his best friend Walter has the hots for him/her. Since the soul of Steve is in Amanda's body. He/She realized, it is tough begin an woman.Written and Directed by Blake Edwards (Breakfest at Tiffany's, Skin Deep, 10) made an amusing, fantasy/comedy with an terrific performance by Barkin with the heart of a stud. Barkin's makes Edwards' somewhat flawed premise works, thanks to her. There is some good supporting performance coming from Smith's as a charming, good-hearted man and JoBeth Williams as a trashy rich woman, who is one of the three killers, who murdered Steve. Looking at this today, the movie is still pretty funny at times and it hasn't dated that much. It is certainly one of Edwards' better movies before he retired.DVD has an sharp anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an good Dolby Stereo 2.0 Surround Sound. DVD also includes Cast & Crew information and the Original Theatrical Trailer. "Switch" did went on have an small loyal cult following. I remember seeing this movie with my parents, when i was nine years old in a movie theater. I remember having an good time watching this and i still do today. Don't miss this one. Watch for an young Catherine Keener as Amanda's assistant in a bit part and Téa Leoni as a model. Panavision. (****/*****).

Add me to the list of those who really liked this movie. Elements of it are hilarious as when the man in Ellen Barkin's body first tries to apply makeup and walk in high heels. Others are in-her-shoes educational for guys experiencing what it is like to be an object of lust. The ending is one of those ones that makes pure imagination seem logical and proper. Some 18 years later, I remember Barkin did a brilliant job of acting like a man acting like a woman and the makeup line, delivered while she staggers and stumbles down the hall, still cracks me up. A chick flick probably but it seemed like a good story well told to this guy.

As taken from the IMDb "Cleo/Leo": I portrayed the role on which JoBeth Williams role was based. A low budget romp, it was then taken and redone by Blake Edwards. Here is the quote from the page on Cleo/Leo and the review (saying it was better than this one) is attached (I personally loved this one and got a real kick out of seeing it brought from low budget to high budget and some (yikes) 7 years LATER I worked side by side WITH JoBeth teaching her sign for the TV movie "Breaking Through" as technical adviser and Co-Starring as Sister Anne in this based on a true life story.you can check out this quote by going to my name : Jennifer Delora or to Cleo/Leo on the IMDb."Essentially the same story Blake Edwards released two years later ("Switch" (1991)) told by a cast of B-movie actors, scream queens and ex-porn stars. In my opinion it's actually the better of the two movies. Deeply flawed don't get me wrong, but far better then Edwards' go at the same subject.Written and directed by Chuck Vincent (also well known for his XXX origins), "Cleo/Leo" is far bolder then most gender switching comedies. I think it must have grown out of Vincent's need to have a late night premium cable friendly T&A showcase that he could sell more so then any artistic drive. But for whatever the reasons may be, sexists Leo, trapped inside the desirable body of Cleo, goes farther then most and as a result actually ask more questions of him/her self then most. Side by side against it companions in the vary small genre of reincarnated sex change centered comedies this little movie is at times surprisingly unflinching, and funny to boot.Don't get me wrong, as I said its flaws are many, and worse still this seldom re-released video is very hard to find. So don't kill yourself looking for it, and more importantly don't kill me if you find it disappointing. But it is a cute B-movie and worth the watching time if you some times like your comedies cheesy, cheap, and adolescent. "funny thing is, when I worked with JoBeth and was in touch with her when I was in LA - I had never realized it because I hadn't seen the film in a long time so it's kind of funny, especially since my career in the 80's (I'm still working but the IMDb is not up to date), I was told I looked like her; when me met in 96, found it to be true and got it from a lot of people so it's humorous to me. But if you liked this (by the way I'm not the XXX star I'm the 'scream queen mentioned above - just a note hehe) check out the very funny, silly low budget version... and yeah, I carry out a gun in this one, and dump the guy in the water, and get called a "Dyke" by him before chasing him with a gun my line "How would you like to function without any balls" as I point the gun to his crotch, chase him, shoot him, he dumps in the water and comes out - a woman ! .. lots of the same thing and those same 80's HAIRSTYLES yikes..EnjoyJennifer Delora, PhD