Review of Women in Trouble (2009) by Michael C — 26 Feb 2010

This is a very conflicted movie and would have been written off by me if it wasn't for the fact that it has a few redeeming values, even if they don't amount to much in the end. The film's script isn't a bad one; it crosses several different stories involving several different women, and there are quite a few moments of genuinely humorous content in the film.

But the cast that delivers most of the script is very lackluster in the film with few exceptions. One of those exceptions is Carla Gugino as Elektra Luxx, an adult star who discovers shes pregnant. The director is apparently making a sequel to this film based solely on her character, and if a film deserved to be made solely on any character in the film it would be hers.

Luxx is very charming in the movie, and her attitude towards her craft in her lot and life is likely one of the best elements of the film as it seems honest and humorous. Marley Shelton is also good as a panicked airline attendant, and Josh Brolin has a cameo as an exaggerated English rock star that's pretty amusing.

But the rest of the cast is very hit and miss. There are some moments of genuine drama or humor and skilled execution, but then it fizzles abruptly. This almost made it worse than if if was a straight-out bad film; it kept taking turns of genuinely fun filmmaking and performance that gave me hope it was becoming something really involving, and boy did it force me to WANT to love this film, but it ultimately then continued down the road of misguidance.

Despite the fact it only got two stars from me, there are select moments in the film that make it worth a possible viewing, and Carla Gugino really is great in the flick.....but the sequel to this film might be the one worth seeing when it finally arrives.