I can see it now... any guy out with his partner that spots this in the video store will likely trip over himself in a mad rush to hide it by shoving a copy of most anything else over top of it, as it appears to simply scream those two words that strike fear into the hearts of the blokiest of blokes - “CHICK FLICK”! Still, perhaps now that we’re in the caring, sharing Noughties I’m being a little too harsh, as sure Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her does have a fabulous, almost entirely female ensemble cast, and sure even the packaging screams THOSE two words, however there really is plenty here for anybody of either gender that appreciates what is simply a well written, directed and acted drama.
Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her features five smaller stories all set in California, presented in a style not a million miles removed from Short Cuts, or perhaps at a push Pulp Fiction. Looking over the almost Where’s Wally-like spot the chick who suicides later on game that’s included in each segment, the common linking thread is basically that of women facing up to some form of loneliness in their lives.
| "Only a fool would speculate about the life of a woman..." |
First we meet Dr Elaine Keener (Glenn Close), a divorced professional looking after her aged and incredibly frail mother. Still on that elusive search for “the one”, she consults a remarkably insightful tarot reader named Christine (Calista Flockhart – whose name can, rather appropriately, be re-arranged to spell “Arf! Tha lo-cal stick” (run with me on this one, OK?)) – but we’ll learn more about her later...
Next is Rebecca (Holly Hunter), a late-30s bank manager seemingly quite happy in her long-running affair with a married man. She’s pregnant to him and remarkably matter of fact about her desire to terminate, however after she does... This portion of the story also contains a rather peculiar run-in with a vagrant woman with a somewhat over-developed Yoda complex.
We next meet Rose (Kathy Baker), a single mom with a fifteen year old son. Realising a growing loneliness as her little boy grows up, she becomes fascinated with her new neighbour, who just happens to be of limited stature.
Now we delve further into Christine’s life, and that of her terminally ill partner Lilly. With the latter seemingly not long for this world, they reminisce of happier times such as when they met and experienced their first kiss.
Finally there’s a detective named Kathy (Amy Brenneman) and her sister/flatmate, Carol (Cameron Diaz). Whilst despite her blindness Carol is getting herself out there - dating, snogging, bonking and generally living her life to the fullest, Kathy has been holding herself back, until...
A rather sombre affair that isn’t necessarily the easiest of viewings if you are in the same shoes as any of those featured, director Rodrigo Garcia also penned the film, and he shows a remarkable understanding of the female psyche. Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her features many a deft touch that renders it a healthy cut above many a piece of sludge that tackles similar themes, helped ever so much by a combination of his lead actors, and indeed his skilful direction. Much time is spent in close-up on characters, allowing us to often be privy to their subtlest of reactions to what’s happening around them. Holly Hunter in particular is at her magical best, and Cameron Diaz shows an affinity with drama that hasn’t necessarily been that well displayed in her past work.
After receiving much praise at the Sundance Film Festival a couple of years ago, seemingly United Artists/MGM had a considerable freak out when it came to working out how to market such a flick, and in the end it bypassed the cinemas almost completely and went straight to US cable channel Showtime. While many may consider Things You Can Tell Just By Looking at Her too slow and plodding, others will revel in the time it spends concentrating on the individual characters and their particular spins on things which we all tend to face at some point in our lives – loneliness of varying types, and uncertainty about the future.
It’s becoming an incredibly annoying tendency of late for distributors to open things up on 1.85:1 ratio films to widescreen telly-matching 1.78:1. It's assumed that the one in 1000 who own one of the beasties will appreciate this at least. Still, it isn’t a major change to how things should have been, and this is another otherwise quite superb anamorphically enhanced transfer.
Detail is at most times nothing short of exemplary; the muted, earthy colours throughout most of the film are all rendered superbly, yet get brighter in those scenes which require it (cue Californian picket fence suburbia). A few scenes exhibit some slight grain, and there are quite a few white speckles scattered throughout the presentation, however not enough to be overly distracting. Being a single layer disc there’s naturally no layer change to report on.
A solitary Dolby Digital 5.1 mix carries this film, and does it pleasantly enough. While the film is predominantly dialogue based, there are some small opportunities for the subwoofwoof to let out a few little whines, and whilst surround activity is minimal, leaving most of the action front and centre, it is utilised when appropriate. Dialogue never fights with the score, remaining easy to understand throughout – and synching poses no issues whatsoever.
The score is a rather laid back affair from Edward Shearmur, which works well punctuating the many silences used (often to great effect) throughout the film.
As intimated earlier, rather than a ‘chick flick’ per se, this is really more of a flick about chicks. There’s no extras to speak of, no phenomenal action to behold, no supersonic aural spectacular to wow at - but there is a rather moving and refreshingly truthful tale to take in for those who have the ability to appreciate such things.
Just don’t watch it if you’re in the midst of your own series of similar crises – while some may find it comforting to not feel alone in what they're going through, others may find it just a little too close to home...
