I confess that I expected something different from this movie, but I didn't feel dissatisfied with what I saw. It's an interesting and very provocative comedy that brings to the screen much of the content of a novel that I've never seen or read. The film, however, works on the basis of provocation for the audience, and launches barbs well aimed at our concept of God and Devil, of Good and Evil, our construction of moral values, the way we see women (or how it faces itself). It's a good movie, but it seems bent on annoying.
The script is set in a small town where everyone knows everyone else, and where the arrival of a rich and eccentric new resident, who acquires a nearby mansion, is the reason for great confusion: he is strangely seductive in his way of being and speaking, and manages to charm three friends who end up romantically pairing up with him, which will cause scandal in the community, particularly in the more religious sectors. However, as they get to know him better, they begin to realize that they are capable of making what they really want to happen, and they will begin to learn to use these powers.
It is with the arrival of the new resident that the film starts to get interesting, after almost fifteen minutes of preparation, introducing the characters and creating the environment. Strangely, and although it is obvious who the witches are, this is never said or discussed openly among them: they never come out and when they talk about their powers they do so almost without actually being plainspoken about it. For me, this worked poorly because it doesn't make sense, especially in a very tight circle of close friends, where one could generally speak more openly about any subject. Thus, the film leaves the magic and witchcraft almost implied. Towards the end, it insists on some lines that are highly provocative and make many moral and ethical issues questionable, even questioning the logic of divine creation by leaving the question whether God created Woman intentionally or did she end up being a "failure of course" of the Creator. I believe that some issues really bothered the public.
There's no doubt that Jack Nicholson is the most striking face of this film, with an almost offensively sarcastic performance. He's ideal for the character, who combines cynicism and malevolence well with doses of charm that make us like him. As for the three witches, played by Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer, I think they're great on their own and even better when they are together. It is quite visible throughout the film how the actresses understood each other and worked well together, and the quality of the interpretation reflects the effort and the combined work. Veronica Cartwright is, in my view, the actress who is responsible for giving the film a more regular villain, as her character, with tics of evident religious fanaticism, is the great opponent, both for the millionaire newcomer and for the three young companions who join him.
Technically, the film has many values to consider, starting with tasteful cinematography, with a penchant for good wide-angle shots and aerial view perspectives. Good colors and a judicious choice of sets and filming locations (in particular the mansion, which is beautiful) help the film to have a truly elegant look and aesthetic. The film also has many special effects, convincing visuals and sound, with characters flying and levitating, tennis balls that seem to have a life of their own, cyclonic winds that seem to hit only one character amidst everything else and that unforgettable vomit that seems taken away from "The Exorcist". The music is masterfully used, helping to set the mood, starting right away with the idyllic and surreal environments of the mansion, with opera arias and classical music skillfully combined with an original soundtrack that is average but fulfills its role.
The script is set in a small town where everyone knows everyone else, and where the arrival of a rich and eccentric new resident, who acquires a nearby mansion, is the reason for great confusion: he is strangely seductive in his way of being and speaking, and manages to charm three friends who end up romantically pairing up with him, which will cause scandal in the community, particularly in the more religious sectors. However, as they get to know him better, they begin to realize that they are capable of making what they really want to happen, and they will begin to learn to use these powers.
It is with the arrival of the new resident that the film starts to get interesting, after almost fifteen minutes of preparation, introducing the characters and creating the environment. Strangely, and although it is obvious who the witches are, this is never said or discussed openly among them: they never come out and when they talk about their powers they do so almost without actually being plainspoken about it. For me, this worked poorly because it doesn't make sense, especially in a very tight circle of close friends, where one could generally speak more openly about any subject. Thus, the film leaves the magic and witchcraft almost implied. Towards the end, it insists on some lines that are highly provocative and make many moral and ethical issues questionable, even questioning the logic of divine creation by leaving the question whether God created Woman intentionally or did she end up being a "failure of course" of the Creator. I believe that some issues really bothered the public.
There's no doubt that Jack Nicholson is the most striking face of this film, with an almost offensively sarcastic performance. He's ideal for the character, who combines cynicism and malevolence well with doses of charm that make us like him. As for the three witches, played by Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer, I think they're great on their own and even better when they are together. It is quite visible throughout the film how the actresses understood each other and worked well together, and the quality of the interpretation reflects the effort and the combined work. Veronica Cartwright is, in my view, the actress who is responsible for giving the film a more regular villain, as her character, with tics of evident religious fanaticism, is the great opponent, both for the millionaire newcomer and for the three young companions who join him.
Technically, the film has many values to consider, starting with tasteful cinematography, with a penchant for good wide-angle shots and aerial view perspectives. Good colors and a judicious choice of sets and filming locations (in particular the mansion, which is beautiful) help the film to have a truly elegant look and aesthetic. The film also has many special effects, convincing visuals and sound, with characters flying and levitating, tennis balls that seem to have a life of their own, cyclonic winds that seem to hit only one character amidst everything else and that unforgettable vomit that seems taken away from "The Exorcist". The music is masterfully used, helping to set the mood, starting right away with the idyllic and surreal environments of the mansion, with opera arias and classical music skillfully combined with an original soundtrack that is average but fulfills its role.