Wise Girls (2002
Directed by David Anspaugh
Written by John Meadows
Starring Mira Sorvino, Mariah Carey, Melora Waters
Release Date January 13th, 2002
Published February 12th, 2002
With all due respect to those of you with a marketing degree, there is no greater scourge in modern Hollywood than marketing. Say what you will about a film's marketing having nothing to do with the film's quality, the fact is that commercials, trailers and posters shape a viewer's point of view when seeing a film. The new-to-video Lions Gate release WiseGirls is a perfect case in point.
Everything in it's marketing would lead you to believe that Wisegirls is a comedy starring Mariah Carey, when in fact the film is a drama and Carey is merely a supporting character to Mira Sorvino's lead. I went in expecting a lame comedy and another chance to rip Mariah Carey's acting skills. Instead, I got a somewhat gripping mob drama from a female perspective that, because of it's marketing, will turn away many potential viewers.
Sorvino stars as Meg Kennedy, a former med school student who has moved to Long Island to live with her ailing grandmother and run away from her tragic past. With the help of her grandmother's caretaker. Meg finds work in an Italian restaurant that is run by the mob. At first Meg has no clue who she is working for, but her new friend Raychel (Carey) is quick to clue her in after one of their special clients accidentally shoots himself and needs Meg's medical training to save his life.
Meg's first inclination is to quit but once she is clued into how much money she can make and how she would be able to care for her ailing grandmother, she puts aside her moral objections and keeps the job. In the meantime she and Raychel and another waitress named Kate (Melora Walters) bond and become close friends. That bond is tested after Meg witnesses her new boss murdering a man who attacked her. The authorities begin to close in on the restaurant, with particular interest in the things Meg witnessed, which include the murder and the drugs being funneled through the restaurant's kitchen.
WiseGirls is a rather surprising movie in it's first hour and twenty minutes. The film builds three very believable lead characters thanks to the strong performances of Sorvino, Waters and, I can't believe I'm saying this, Mariah Carey. Yes, its true, Mariah doesn't suck in WiseGirls. In fact, supporting character work seems to suit her. Her performance is relaxed and engaging, she makes Raychel a girl we all think we've met before.
It is Sorvino's performance that nearly pushes WiseGirls into being a good movie. Sorvino does a sensational job of earning the audiences sympathy. There's help from the script by John Meadows that allows her character to evolve in ways that are logical, if somewhat misguided. Sorvino's Meg shows the slippery slope that many of us could find ourselves on if we don't keep good company. Admit it, we all have that drug dealer friend that we only hang with in public for fear of being there when the cops bust him. The fact is that, much like six degrees of Kevin Bacon, we all have some connection to crime, organized or otherwise, and this film shows what happens when you allow those relationships to go to far.
Many reviews of this film have referred to the film's stereotypical mobster characters played by Arthur J. Nascarella and Christian Maelan amongst others. I honestly didn't think the stereotypes were as pronounced as most reviewers thought. The problem was the actors who seemed to be just going through the motions of their characters.
The biggest problem with WiseGirls is a serious one, it's ending. This film has possibly the worst ending of any film released in the last year. The ending is a total cop out and ruins any emotional crescendo that had risen into a strong cathartic moment. The ending ruined the movie for me.
That said, if you stop watching with maybe five or ten minutes left, you might walk away with a pleasant view of WiseGirls. But stay for those final moments, and you will be very disappointed.
