Switch

This is one of my favorite Barkin vehicles. In fact, without her wonderful comic turns this one would sink under its constrained plot. Besides Barkin, Jimmie Smits and Lorraine Bracco (of Sopranos fame) give good supporting performances. The idea and story Blake Edwards uses is a variation on Victor/Victoria, which was good enough to be recast as a musical, but here his usually daring ideas don't quite make the grade. Nonetheless, this is one of those comedies that calls for repeated viewing, because once you've laughed at some of Barkin's comedic scenes, a second viewing will have you laughing even before the scene unfolds. Roger Ebert commented that a deeper exploration on some of the themes would have made it a timeless comedy, and I'd agree with that.But if you just want to laugh till your sides ache, I'd recommend this one for your funny bone.

Switch is just one of those movies you just have to love.Touching on offensive subject matter and being socially inappropriate by today's censored standards it tells the story of a womanizer named Steve who is murdered by 3 of his ex lovers for being a male chauvinistic pig. He crosses over into a sort of limbo and being thats he's been so bad to the opposite sex is sent back to earth to find one female who truly loves him. He than can move on to heaven but if he can't will go straight to hell. The woman he becomes is played by a young Ellen Barkin in her sexual prime and comic glory.Creative laughs ensue as he deals with homosexuality, struggles of sexism in the workplace and world, repercussions of his past actions from women and advances from all kinds of men including his best friend played charmingly by the than hunky Jimmy Smits. The movie is smart funny and wholly original in its exploration of its premise and even raunchy and envelop pushing by todays standards. Although not a perfect film there are some pacing issues and questionable directorial approaches on how he approaches the material times. Switch is still a great movie as timely as ever showing us just how little we've progressed in the age old war between the sexes not to say their hasn't been a lot of progress but we still have a ways to go.

I've read many previews of this film, and of course you can dive deep down and demand it to focus on all the different problems, but then You have picked the wrong film. There's is VERY few movies in this genre, and this one gives you MANY LAUGHS ! Sure they are a bit simple, but the movie give You a good time and plants some seeds about the gender problems. Whether you are sober or a bit "pixilated", it will raise your mood :) It's strength lies in its easy to recognize human behavior and to see this in the opposite sex, is great ! The basic message is that everyone needs to be seen and be loved, and how we go about this, often in a very "stereotype" way. Also how we can change and become more altruistic/unselfish. The movie starts out with brazen humor and ends up with me in tears as I recognize feelings that i have in me, but are too "good" in covering up. Bottom line = Both men and women should enjoy this equally well.

I could not believe some of the comments about this movie! Unfunny???!!! Depressive???!!! I thought it was wonderful! Ellen Barkin is brilliant! Brilliant! Her first 5 minutes on screen is hilarious! I think this movie is misunderstood. Pink Panther fans expect certain things that just do not happen in this movie. It is funny from the beginning, bitter-sweet at the end, it is about love, friendship, meaning of life, soul searching, men and women, God and Devil, and even has a pretty good basketball one-on-one. I love it. I watched it many times over the years, I keep finding new little things to love about this movie, it is one of my all-time favorites and I give it an awesome 8 out of 10!!!

An amusing film where a sexist man is killed by one of his girlfriends, and sent back to earth to live in a woman's body. He must find a woman who loves him in order to make it into Heaven. Great performance by Ellen Barkin.