Switch (1991)

Ellen Barkin, Jimmy Smits, Perry King, JoBeth Williams and Lorraine Bracco star in Blake Edwards' 1991 comedy. King (Class of 1984) plays Steven Brooks, a philandering, ad exec who gets shot by 3 women. He's sent back to earth, but must live as a female, Amanda (Barkin) and find love in order to go to heaven. Smits (Running Scared) plays his best pal, Walter, Williams (Poltergeist) plays Margo, one of Steven's girlfriends/lovers and Bracco (Goodfellas) plays Sheila, a businesswoman. This is a pretty good comedy that sort of shares similarities with "Oh God, You Devil!" and "Heaven Can Wait," Barkin is great in it and she and Smits have good chemistry. I recommend this.

Sorry, Charlie, only good looking men who know how to treat a woman get to avoid the fate of Perry King here. The early 60's Broadway play "Goodbye Charlie" (starring Lauren Bacall) which became a flop movie starring Debbie Reynolds became the basis for this Blake Edwards update where the individual mistresses of a naughty New York playboy get together and plan his demise. His death isn't going to be an easy one. The three of these women don't have the strength to hold his head underwater, so it's finally a gunshot which does him in and sends him straight to hell where it is judged that he must return to life inside a woman's body with the same mind and find somebody who really loves him/her within a set period of time, otherwise be eternally damned.Coming back to earth in this classic variation on "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" and its remake "Heaven Can Wait", King changes into the sultry voiced Ellen Barkin, and when he wakes up after having a supposed nightmare of being murdered and finds out that he's now a woman, he/she confronts his/her "killers" and thus begins a scheme of blackmail and life living as a woman, pretty much doing the same thing all over again. But a he-man like the deceased King isn't going to play around with men; this "switch" makes him/her go from "playboy" to "playgirl", a lesbian who seduces a woman simply to get a business deal through and ultimately breaks her heart just as he had done with the women who did him in.Along the way, there's his best buddy, Jimmy Smits, not as much of a playboy, or at least with a bit more ethics, and when the new best buddies of man and woman have a bit too much to drink, it ends up in a scene that some people might classify as date rape. That is one element which some of the critics truly found disturbing and why some panned it. But there couldn't be the final plot twist without that, so sometimes a writer has to take liberties with good taste in order to satisfy the storyline. The performances of Barkin and Smits are excellent, and her reaction to what happens with them is priceless, as is the twist which occurs because of their one-time encounter.In supporting roles, Tony Roberts, Jobeth Williams and Lorraine Bracco are all excellent. Williams is a tough straight broad who tells it the way she feels, especially when encountering a woman who comments on her mink, "Do you realize how many poor animals had to die so you could get that coat?". Roberts plays King and Smit's boss who is an older version of King's sleazy character, and when Smits gets the axe, he gives him an outstanding exit line. From the moment you see Bracco, she is truly unforgettable as the lonely lesbian Barkin takes advantage of. You can see she's been used by men which is why she switched to women (another controversial plot element which probably disturbed a lot of lesbians), but there's a light sense of reality to her pain.This is a film which is going to give a lot of mixed emotions to people, certainly not a flawless film, but one which deserved to get a bit more acclaim than it received. It's probably because of Barkin's energetic performance that made me like this as much as I did, but it's also the gorgeous Joni Mitchell song which opens and closes the film, and really gives some morality to an otherwise shady story. Take this movie for the statement it is trying to make on male/female relationships and the theory that people really can change when destiny calls for it. They may not need to be murdered and brought back in the body of the opposite sex to do it, but there is certainly hope for everybody.

Woke up to this flick on Cinemax this morning. I didn't know what to expect, and I found myself laughing at the daffy, zany, madcap adventures of a guy in a woman's body.Ellen Barkin gives a hilarious performance. The awkwardness off her transformation was humorous and realistic. She played off of her fellow actors with precision and flow. Playing the "tough" chick kept me in stitches.The scene I laughed at the most was the bar fight, which got really over-the-top and out of hand. My laughter reached it's climax when Barkin jumped on the guy's back in the center of the bartender's station.I usually grade a movie on entertainment value and this one gets a 10 out of 10 for the simple fact that it made me laugh out loud more than any other. (Okay, tied with Billy Madison). I rarely laugh at comedies more than twice a movie, so I'm recommending this movie to anyone who wants something to really laugh at.

Switch (1991): Ellen Barkin, Jimmy Smits, Perry King, Jobeth Williams, Lorraine Bracco, Tony Roberts, Bruce Payne, Lysette Anthony, Basil Hoffman, Kevin Kilner, Victoria Mahoney, David Wohl, Catherine Keener, Tea Leoni, Rick Aiello, David Gale, Robert Clotworthy, Herb Tanney, Dena Burton, Alana Silvani, Michelle Reese, Michael Badalucco, Gregory J. Barnett, Fred Lerner, Jim Lovelett, Faith Minton, Linda Dona, Elena Statheros, Robert Towers, Ross Brittain, Richard Provost, Lenny Citrano...Director Blake Edwards, Screenplay Blake Edwards.Director Blake Edwards was no stranger to comedies with themes of gender and male/female dynamics and conflict. "Victor/Victoria" which starred Julie Andrews and James Garner had preceded this 1991 film. "Switch" is a surreal/fantasy comedy about one man, sexist, awful Steve Brooks, and his transformation and redemption after death. He has been murdered by three women- Liz (Lysette Anthony), Margot (Jobeth Williams) and Sheila (Lorraine Bracco) in a bathtub. He is given a chance to go to Heaven and not Hell by God (a combination of male and female voices), but the catch is someone has to fall in love with him. Because he is the same old, sexist, womanizing, rotten pig, it's going to be hard for anyone to love him. Edwards wrote the screenplay and considering he has been the talent behind "Breakfast At Tiffany's" and other well-written films, the script here is a jewel. By 1991, the issues of transgender operations and lesbians in our modern world, working and wanting the same kind of life we all want, was not new nor entirely shocking. The film, however, is never bordering on gross or over-the-top silliness, much like it would be had this been re-made for today's audiences. It is always filled with brilliant touches from dialog to acting. Especially striking is Ellen Barkin in the principal role. Essentially, she's a man in a woman's body. She totally convinces us that she's never worn high heels so that when she walks with a limp and in a very manly way, it's more than believable acting and in keeping with character. Her tone of voice, a Brooklyn-type of accent, her rough, gutsy ways and candor, are all very nice touches. Jimmy Smits as her friend, Walter, is fine but nothing impressive. Look for Tea Leoni in a minor part. The film has a lot of heart. The music is by veteran film composer and contemporary of Edwards's, Mr. Henry Mancini. This is the story of a man's redemption through transformation. As a woman, he realizes life's tough but has advantages. He feels, coincidentally, more empowered as a woman than as a man. He even gives birth to a baby girl. His experience has finally opened his eyes and he recognizes how bad he has treated woman in the past. This is a well-executed piece of meaningful comedy and by a master director. I've given it an 8 rating because perhaps it's quality is lost in today's more enlightened world. In 1991, all the bombardment of gay/lesbian issues or transgender studies was simply to raise consciousness and now that consciousness is no longer an issue. The cinematography is splendid. New York City in the early 90's, the world of business at the time and male/female conflicts which have always been around are all part of the mix of this wonderful comic film. Enjoy "Switch".