Death Becomes Her (1992) User Reviews

Goofy Madness

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 7/10 · 19 November 2003]

Classic 90's time, this is one of those movies that I kind of remember seeing on TV five million times as a kid. I always loved watching it, it had the most incredible effects and I thought it was so funny. I was such a deranged 7 year old I guess. But still to this day, I really enjoy watching Death Becomes Her. It has a very clever story, amazing effects and three great actors: Bruce Willis, Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. Who said dark comedies can't be good? Death Becomes her shows the true competitive side of women that scares most of the human race, how far we will go to be the hottest, the smartest, the kindest, etc. But also the whole essence of eternal youth, beauty and living forever, and Death Becomes Her handles the subject very well.

Actress Madeline Ashton and writer Helen Sharp are longtime rivals. Helen's life falls apart when glamorous Madeline steals Helen's fiancé, plastic surgeon Ernest Menville, and marries him. Seven years later, Helen is now an obese, depressed woman, and is arrested and placed in a mental institution. Obsessed with getting revenge against Madeline, she struggles in the institution with healing. Madeline's career on Broadway ends, and 14 years later she is still struggling with her fading looks and bygone acting career. Ernest, now an alcoholic and miserable in his marriage, has been reduced to working as a high-end mortician. When Madeline and Helen meet again at Helen's book-signing party, Helen appears miraculously rejuvenated, thin, and youthful. Madeline is first dumbfounded then jealous. As part of Helen's plan, she plays both Madeline and Ernest, telling them each she has never blamed them for her ruined love life. Madeline resorts to the aid of the mysterious Lisle Von Rhoman, who claims she has discovered the secret of eternal youth. Madeline purchases the potion, drinks it, and is delighted to see her body visibly losing the signs of aging as she watches in a mirror, leaving her thin, firm, and young. Helen, meanwhile, seduces Ernest and reveals to him a detailed and foolproof plot to kill Madeline. Ernest kills Madeline, Madeline is still alive Madeline kills Helen Helen is still alive death has become them.

The film is flawed no doubt, it should have developed the characters a bit more, we never really understood why Madeline and Helen were friends in the first place as it seems like they've always hated each other, they could have just explored the friendship a little further. As well as why we should care what is happening to these pretty horrible characters. But still this is one of those films that for some reason keeps me watching it every time it pops up on TV. I think it was a lot of fun and had some good laughs, especially the fight between Madeline and Helen, they discover that there's really no point to inflicting physical pain but keep going at it with each other. This is a recommendation to those who have a strange sense of humor, it's something only a few will get.

7/10.

The Living Dead in Beverly Hills

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 3 September 2015]

In 1978, in Broadway, the decadent and narcissist actress Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) is performing Songbird, based on Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth. Then she receives her rival Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn), who is an aspiring writer, and her fiancé Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis), who is a plastic surgeon, in her dressing-room. Soon Menville calls off his commitment with Helen and marries Madeline. Seven years later, Helen is obese in a psychiatric hospital and obsessed in seeking revenge on Madeline. In 1992, the marriage of Madeline and Menville is finished and he is no longer a surgeon but an alcoholic caretaker.

Out of the blue, they are invited to a party where Helen will release her novel Forever Young and Madeline goes to a beauty shop. The owner gives a business card of the specialist in rejuvenation Lisle Von Rhuman (Isabella Rossellini) to her. When the envious Madeline sees Helen thin in a perfect shape, she decides to seek out Lisle and buys a potion to become young again. Further, she advises that Madeline must take care of her body. Meanwhile Helen seduces Menville and they plot a scheme to kill Madeline. When Madeline comes home, she has an argument Menville and he pushes her from the staircase. She breaks her neck but becomes a living dead. When Helen arrives at Menville's house expecting that Madeline is dead, she is murdered by Madeline. But she also becomes a living dead and they conclude they need Menville to help them to maintain their bodies. But Menville wants to leave them.

"Death Becomes Her" is an American black comedy with excellent special effects even after twenty-three years after the release and great cast. The trash storyline is strange and original and the black humor may not be pleasant for everyone. But there are funny and witty quotes and situations and this film has not aged. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Morte Lhe Cai Bem" ("Death Fits Well to Her")

Got Its Moments

[Tweetienator · 7/10 · 27 June 2021]

Fun little flick - for sure Death Becomes Her is not made for everyone, but well, if that mix of macabre horror fantasy comedy and whatever hits you, you will be well entertained. On top, we get a fine cast. Recommended, if you like such movies as The Witches of Eastwick, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Dark Shadows and the like.

Zemeckis Knows Genre

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 3 April 2016]

When a woman learns of an immortality treatment, she sees it as a way to outdo her long-time rival.

This film was intended to be a sequel to the "Tales From the Script" television show, and although the TFTC name is not attached, you still get a strong sense of the humor we have come to expect. David Koepp and Martin Donovan (who last worked together on "Apartment Zero") had intended to write a few short films, like an anthology, but this story just grew... and Robert Zemeckis added his own brand of humor, with the dark side of Hollywood bubbling to the surface.

Along with Zemeckis comes some of his associates. That includes Dean Cundey, the cinematographer who started on low budget horror, then made John Carpenter's work look great, before moving on to the high-profile films of Zemeckis. And also producer Steve Starkey, who came up from the "Star Wars" films. Zemeckis is sort of the lesser-celebrated member of a triumvirate with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, but perhaps he should in many ways be more celebrated... his range and aesthetic are impressive.

There is no denying Robert Zemeckis is really a master of genre. He takes what could be a niche and makes it mainstream. "Back to the Future" is loved by all, not just science fiction nerds. And "Death Becomes Her" could have been horror, but with Zemeckis at the helm it was more mainstream, and is now classified as "fantasy / comedy" -- not even horror at all, despite the themes!

Although Meryl Streep was great (as always), she has said that it "was like being at the dentist" having to work in such a way to accommodate the special effects. She vowed never to work in such a film again, and for the most part I think she has stayed true to this vow. Which brings up an interesting divide between the actors of Streep's level (constant Oscar nominees) and those who appear in genre films again and again. Maybe Oscar acting is not better, but merely employs a different skill set?

Speaking of Oscars, "Death Becomes Her" won the Academy Award for Visual Effects. That is so well-deserved. Anyone who watches this film should be impressed by what they were able to do. Why is it that today (2016) we spend millions of dollars to make things look like animation, but already in 1992 they had perfected a way of making it look like heads were falling off and holes were being blown through people? We are regressing!

Scream Factory comes through with a Collector's Edition blu-ray. Although the features on the disc are a bit scant for a collector's edition, they were able to put together a series of interviews to make a retrospective. Streep and Goldie Hawn did not participate (not surprisingly), but Zemeckis did, which is really quite a coup. And David Koepp! And legendary cinematographer Dean Cundey, who had come with Zemeckis from "Back to Future"! Fans of the film who want to know a bit more about what went into this picture are strongly encouraged to pick it up.

Zany and Campy

[blissey_s · 7/10 · 17 January 2022]

And the award for the snarkiest woman in history goes to: Meryl Streep! This movie proves that Meryl knows how to play a snarky woman better than almost anyone else. In fact, 80% of this movie is Meryl and Goldie Hawn verbally abusing and emasculating their co-star Bruce Willis. Not a bad plot, honestly.

The other 20% of the film are special effects that stretch and disfigure human bodies in just about every configuration imaginable, the caveat being that the bodies are of people that are still alive and speaking. It sounds grotesque, and at times I was wincing, but overall it was pretty cool to see what they could accomplish.

I'd say that Meryl bitching is delightful at first, but verges on grating by the end. And once you've seen a couple variations of a disfigured body even that can get sort of redundant.

This is a campy horror flick, so I suppose the point was to make it as over-the-top as they could, and I think they managed to do that and then some. Going into this I thought, "oh, this is a standard story about two women fighting over a man! I've seen this type of thing before!". But really, the first thirty-some minutes feel like a complete separate movie from the remainder of it.

It quickly becomes apparent that what you thought this was going in isn't what this is at all. Actually, it's completely different and unexpected and the sheer weirdness of this flick earns it some points.

I was hoping for an alternate ending in which Ernest exposes the society of immortals to the public and a mass media witch hunt ensues, but the actual ending isn't that bad and works well too.

Still one of the most Original comedies ever

[phd_travel · 10/10 · 9 March 2011]

The cast is perfect. The acting deserved golden globes all round. Every line is delivered perfectly and every expression is just right. Goldie, Meryl and yes Bruce are all perfect. Meryl's best comedy ever. Goldie is so funny - one of the first fat suit uses. In fact it is Bruce's best comedic role - he is unrecognizable. The dark comedy is so unique and right on the plastic surgery and commentary on the obsession with youthful looks is so spot on. And it is really funny too. Special effects are still astounding even by today's standards. Isabella Rosellini is also very effective in her small role. Every time I have seen this movie over all these years it's still funny and still delightful. A must see and a classic.

Now a Warning! Meryl Streep is funny!

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 17 July 2013]

Who'd think after "The French Lt.'s Woman", "Sophie's Choice" and "Out of Africa" that Meryl Streep could be funny? The "Queen of 80's accents" decided to change her image a bit and did some comedies like "She-Devil" and "Postcards From the Edge", throwing in this rambunctious farce for good measure. She is one of the most vane actresses on Broadway and in Hollywood, starring in a horrendous musical version of "Sweet Bird of Youth", comically called "Songbird!". (You know an explanation point had to be in there somewhere...) The musical is so bad that after walking out of the Broadway show into the mid-town Manhattan rain, the playbill with Streep's photo on it ends up in the middle of the street. Up there with "The Producer's" "Springtime For Hitler" and "The Tall Guy's" "Elephant Man" spoof, "Songbird!" takes spoofing of bad musical theater to a deliciously low level of tackiness.

From the outrageous musical opening that lampoons bad Broadway musicals (of which there were plenty of in the 1970's and early 80's) to the murder mystery parody she stars in for which overweight rival Goldie Hawn rewinds her murder scene over and over again just to smile in glee at the thought of the woman who stole her fiancée (Bruce Willis, made up to look like Martin Mull) being murdered. Hawn, once a thin frump, blew up to the size of a hippopotamus, living off of cake frosting and vowing revenge. Streep has grown older, goes to the opening of an envelope for publicity purposes, and is stunned at one such event when she runs into the now beautifully svelte Hawn whom she is sure will seek revenge to get Willis (whom she hates!) back. Murder is plotted, deaths occur, and before you know it, thanks to a mysterious potion, Streep is looking 20 years younger. But with this beauty coming at a price, Streep, Hawn and Willis find their fates tied together in a way they never thought could be.

Brilliant special effects and outrageous performances make this comedy one of the best modern farces. The cast is obviously having a blast, and the spoof of Hollywood vanity by Hollywood itself, is an ironic delight. To see the beautifully zany Hawn not only in an obvious fat suit but her face made up to look enormous as well is one of the best visual sights of recent times. Isabella Rossellini has a wonderful smaller role as the guru/devil woman who makes references to allegedly dead stars who simply vanished off the face of the earth thanks to her potion. A few of them appear in a party sequence which makes you wonder how many of these narcissistic people may have suffered similar fates to what happened to Streep and Hawn. Director Sydney Pollack has a hysterical cameo as Streep's doctor after she falls down the stairs. ("Oopsy!") "General Hospital's" John Ingle (the final Edward Quartermain) makes another brief splash as the minister in the final scene, describing one of the characters with such outrageous dramatics that Hawn and Streep couldn't help but take notice.

As directed by Robert Zemickis, every detail is perfect, even if the theme is extremely mean-spirited, and totally unafraid of its cruelty. This is one of those films that you can't believe the creative mind could come up with, so half the laughs are more out of shock, and that adds even more amusement to the proceedings. Some of the sound effects (one involving a fall down the stairs) will make your spine shiver. At times, the film seems to enjoy slamming the Hollywood ego, but there are other times when it also seems to be full of ego itself. In retrospect, it makes the balance between sanity and insanity over aging an obsession that grows into an evil fungus inside these character's hearts that is as self-destructive as drugs and alcohol. Spoofing various situations that real people only get hints of through all those outrageously pretentious award shows really makes you think what a sad life some celebrities must lead when they can't separate their own public image and real personality. Throw in an exit line at the very end that is right up there with Joe E. Brown's response to Jack Lemmon at the end of "Some Like It Hot".

An amazing and funny movie that doesn't deserve to be forgotten.

[filipemanuelneto · 9/10 · 15 September 2021]

This is one of the best black comedies I know, even though it suffers from the transversal problems of black humor: it's caustic, it's irreverent, it's sarcastic and has an acidity that isn't for all tastes. And most interesting: it brings together an extraordinary cast full of guys we know well and whose talent needs no introduction.

In the film, two childhood friends come to hate each other to death: they competed with each other for years, mainly in terms of their own beauty and love, stealing each other's husbands whenever possible. After a defeat, one of her friends goes into a deep depression, gains immense weight and ends up in a mental institution, where she develops a murderous obsession against her old enemy. When she steps out into the outside world, however, she looks beautiful, stunning, powerful... and determined to get revenge. All thanks to a mysterious elixir, jealously guarded by a strange woman.

The film is truly unmissable for fans of black humor, and will surely please others thanks to its comic tone and a roguish story, full of twists and turns, in which the characters conspire against each other, determined to kill themselves, and they survive, albeit with hilarious marks on their bodies. It's one of those movies that you lose when you try to explain it, so the best thing is to see it. I saw it many years ago, and now I have been able to see it again and enjoy it again.

The cast, as I said, is full of famous names, starting with the lead duo Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. The two actresses are great and even better when they're together. It was truly a surprise to see Streep in work so far from what she's used to, but there's no doubt that the hard work of the two actresses is a strong reason to see this film. Bruce Willis is also very good and works well, stripping away his usual charisma and taking on the role of the idiot and deeply comic husband/lover. To make things even more bizarre, we have the iconic Isabella Rosselini, slim and magnificent in the role of an exotic and exuberant malefic figure, as strange and surreal as a sphinx cat.

Technically, the film is an unrecognized gem thanks to the talent of Robert Zemeckis. It was one of the most innovative films of its decade, where several new solutions were tested in terms of CGI, visual and special effects, and where photorealistic human skin software was used for the first time. Everything that would be used later, and with more mastery, in movies that we love and that make this movie even more surreal. The cinematography fulfills its role well and the sets and costumes are truly iconic, with the beautiful mansions of the characters and the dresses worn by the two protagonists (or the almost absence of clothes by Rosselini). The soundtrack doesn't deserve much attention, but it fulfills its role.

A touch of youth and eternal life...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 23 July 2017]

I remember watching this movie back in the mid 1990's, give or take, and do recall it as being an entertaining movie. So I took the time to sit down and watch it again in 2017.

And let me just start out by saying that having aged 25 years has done nothing to the movie, because it is every bit as entertaining and enjoyable now as it was back then. So one might speculate whether or not the potion that thwarts aging and restores youth have been given to the movie as well...

The story is about the rivalry between two friends; Helen Sharp (played by Goldie Hawn) and Madeline Ashton (played by Meryl Streep). Helen is engaged to be married to Ernest Menville (played by Bruce Willis) when Madeline swoops in an steal him away. Ernest and Madeline become married, but the years of marriage wedges an emotional separation between them, and during these years Helen is down on her luck and harbors a strong resentment towards Madeline all these years. 12 years later, Helen walks back into the lives of Ernest and Madeline, and things are taking a very unexpected turn...

It is a combination of storyline, acting performances and special effects that keep this movie fresh and up to date. Yes, even while the movie is from 1992, the special effects are quite good and still do manage to stand up to the effects of today.

The music score for the movie was quite good, as it should be of course at the hands of Alan Silvestri.

Director Robert Zemeckis managed to turn writers Martin Donovan and David Koepp's story into a very enjoyable movie on the screen.

If you haven't already seen "Death Becomes Her", then I can strongly recommend that you find the time to do so, should you happen to get the chance, because this is a rather nice movie.

admirable work

[Kirpianuscus · 9 April 2018]

Maybe, one of the most provocative portraits of obsession about appearances and eternal life. inspired performances, Bruce Willis in a role so far by the well known performances, gags and humor and spiced irony , conflicts and magic. a fairy tale using familiar pieces. in smart manner. that is one of the reasons of freshness for this comedy about women and theirs...desires.

great special effects

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 1 February 2016]

In 1978, Broadway star Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) invites rival Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn) backstage and steals her plastic surgeon fiancé Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis). Madeline marries him sending Helen on a downward spiral. Seven years later, Helen is obese and mad with thoughts of revenge. Seven more years later, Madeline's career has faded. Ernest is a drunk with a failed work life. Their marriage is on the rocks. They are invited to Helen's party celebrating the release of her book Forever Young. Helen is shockingly young and beautiful. Mysterious Lisle Von Rhuman (Isabella Rossellini) sells Madeline a magic potent. Helen convinces Ernest to kill Madeline but it goes wrong.

These characters are all pretty ugly. They do sad ugly things. I would rather not spend time with this trio. However, the special effects are great and they're done in interesting ways. I wish the characters get some rewrites to make one of them with rooting interest. It's fun to see Goldie Hawn get shot with a hole in her stomach but it's not that interesting as a story element.

Ageing beautifully

[marcosaguado · 10/10 · 24 November 2013]

"Death Becomes Her" is over 20 years old but I bet it took a potion to remain splendorous for ever. Everything ages, even special effects but the elegance and wit of most of the dialog remains fresh and brisk. "I wasn't the sort of girl who could say the word sexual without blushing" tells Goldie to poor, emasculated Bruce - What happens to Bruce's face is just brilliant. He can't believe it. He is excited and terrified at the same time. A new DVD blue ray edition is overdue, with lots of extra features, please. Why haven't we seen more work like this? I'm a great fan of Martin Donovan and David Koepp, the writers, and this was their second and last collaboration. Koepp went on to write Jurassic Park and Mission Impossible and directed the delightful Ghost Town and Premiun Rush. Martin Donovan does extraordinary work with actors at Playhouse West and the Director's Playhouse of Los Angeles. I sat at three of his sessions and I left inspired and breathless. I asked him about "Death Becomes Her" and our exchange will be posted in his Message Boards here on IMDb. It made me want to see the film again, immediately.

Entertaining and mildly groundbreaking

[neil-476 · 7/10 · 18 September 2012]

Madeline (Meryl Streep) and Helen (Goldie Hawn) play two old "friends" - ostensibly friends, they are actually viciously envious of, and aggressively competitive towards each other, as demonstrated by Madeline marrying Helen's plastic surgeon fiancé Ernest (Bruce Willis), the trauma of which sends Helen to mental hospital for 7 years. By this time Madeline's career is more or less over and Ernest is alcoholic, their marriage a misery-soaked sham. Depressed over the depredations of age, Madeline obtains an elixir of youth and immortality (unknown to her, Helen has already taken this). This coincides with a plot by Helen and Ernest to kill her, a plot which would have been successful were she not now immortal. In retaliation, Madeline blasts a hole in Helen with a shotgun. Both women discover that the advice they were given - to take care of their bodies - was particularly apposite given that the bodies retain all the damage done to them while the woman themselves remain alive.

This very black comedy, directed by Robert Zemeckis, has a wonderful premise, an excellent story, two lead actresses having a ball, Bruce Willis cast and performing against type, and some terrific special effects, mostly concerning the dreadful damage caused to the bodies of the two women - this film illustrated just how good a tool, CGI could be when used well.

Most of all, this film is fun!

Effective satire, but that's about it

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 23 December 2015]

The reason I enjoy DEATH BECOMES HER is for the cutting way it explores the obsession with anti-ageing in America (and particularly Los Angeles) and the increasingly desperate efforts by women (and men) to combat it. This is a film which takes plastic surgery to new extremes when a couple of rival women discover a magical immortality serum and use it to devastating effect.

Other than the spot-on satire, it's fair to say that this film really isn't all that good. The goofy slapstick comedy feels forced and the plot is so limited that it barely sustains the running time. Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn are both given free reign to ham things up as much as is humanly possible, while Bruce Willis is miscast in a slightly desperate comedic turn. The supporting acts of Isabella Rossellini and Ian Ogilvy are better, but given little to work with.

Watching this film over twenty years after it was made, it becomes apparent that it was designed as a special effects showcase in which human bodies are turned into cartoon-style creations with all manner of outlandish violence. Unfortunately, the CGI isn't all that great, and some of it looks really, really awful these days; the bit with the backwards head is the film's nadir. To say that it's dated is an understatement...

Comic-book ghoulishness

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 22 November 2001]

After a sharp, smartly and amusingly satirical first act, "Death Becomes Her" takes a dive and never recovers (and the hastily-refilmed ending certainly doesn't help; it's too transparently rushed). After two female rivals have each drunk a potion that will keep them young forever, they are killed and come back as the living dead...and continue to primp and fuss like pageant contestants. Bruce Willis plays a genial doctor who gets caught in the middle, and while Bruce is surprisingly adept at playing the milquetoast, it's a completely thankless part (he just stands there reacting, his mouth open in surprise). The picture does look good--too good. It's overproduced and yet doesn't flow with a smooth continuity (the way slick, expensive movies often do). Instead, the film is jumbled and frenetic, and doesn't seem to have a point. However, the first 45 minutes are a hoot, and in these early scenes Meryl Streep does some high comedy worth seeing. A mixed-bag. **1/2 from ****

An exaggerated satirical dark comedy done very well

[ambusched94 · 7/10 · 26 March 2022]

An enjoyable dark comedy mocking Hollywood's obsession with youth and their adamant belief in "lasting" vanity achieved through plastic surgery. The three leads are all superb and have a believable love/hate on-screen rapport. The visual effects (both digital and practical) still hold up very well to this day; Robert Zemeckis films never falter in this department. Side note: Bruce Willis is such a cutie in this film; he acts quite well in an against type role playing a high-strung, alcoholic plastic surgeon/mortuary cosmetologist. Death Becomes Her is a wickedly awesome viewing experience. Highly recommended if you like satirical dark comedies and '90s films.

Witty satire cleverly done

[melwyn · 10/10 · 11 February 2004]

I must have seen this film about 15 or so times now. I love the vain, shallow characters of Madeline and Helen who are the ultimate example of what might happen if you took the advice of our "obsessed-with-perfection" media to its illogical conclusion. Meryl and Goldie play their parts with unrestrained enthusiasm, pushing them to the limit to emphasise that these two who believe they are truly beautiful are, after all, just caricatures of perfection.

Like Icarus, Mad and Hell take no advice and pursue the unattainable regardless of the cost. That they see every mountainous obstacle as a mere minor inconvenience helps reinforce the humour of the film. Bruce Willis is marvellous as Ernest, the unhappy mouse caught in the middle of their game; the voice of reason amid lunacy.

The writing is witty and sometimes painfully sharp, emphasising in almost every scene that beauty does not equal happiness, and the closer you come to attaining an obsessively pursued physical perfection, the further you get from real happiness and fulfillment. Stylistically our attention is focused on this concept over and over again, with mirrors and reflections used very creatively throughout the film.

We don't see a lot of clever satire these days, which is a pity. This is a fabulous film.

Living forever is too much!!

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 8 August 2018]

The power trio leading roles were almost perfect, Meryl Streep was my favorite actress since Deer Hunter, gorgeous and sexy, Goldie in a step behind is beauty and funny as Private Benjamin, Willis as Ernest becomes a clow in their hands in a fine acting, the picture was a criticism of the endless seeking for eternal youth that disturb all women who getting older, this is starting point this clever and original black comedy, which apealls too much by special effects that spoilled the whole thing, should be more unaffected by so manny effects, end up seems strained and then flopped down to me reaching at trash's level!!

Resume: First watch: 1995 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5

From The Sublime To The Ridiculous

[bethlambert117 · 9/10 · 12 March 2006]

There is so much greatness in this unexpected Hollywood comedy that the cheap shots are really cheap and, quite frankly, unbearable. Buried somewhere between the special effects (extraordinary by the way) is one the wittiest satires to come out of Hollywood in many, many moons. Meryl Streep is sensational and Bruce Willis is, I swear, unrecognizable in the best possible way. The movie hits the highest moments when, for instance, Meryl asks Isabella Rossellini how much the magic potion costs and Isabella replays: "Oh the sordid topic of coin" sublime, exquisite, funny but with enormous regard for its audience. But when Bruce calls Goldie Hawn to explain the "incident" at home he goes through a TV style monologue that seems to belong to a sit-com and not to the elegant vulgarity of this three sad, magnificent wannabees. The dialog, for the most part, is the best in any American serious comedy since Billy Wilder. The structure of the script is flawless and inventive. The costumes are atrocious and certain scenes seem directed by a 3rd assistant. I don't know how to explain it. However, I have it, I own it and sometimes I put it on with my finger in the fast forward. What's good is so good that makes the whole thing really worth it.

A genius combination of three great actors makes this worth while!

[anzy_chick · 24 February 2003]

Ok, call me crazy but wasn't this the first film that anyone had ever seen Bruce Willis play a character that didn't involve him blasting bad guys into the air with a machine gun? Don't get me wrong, I loved "Die Hard" and am a big fan of Bruce but it was just so refreshing to see him play a character that was so different to his previous (and, indeed, later) roles. His performance of the downtrodden, weedy "Ernest" is masterful as he strikes a perfect balance between the comedy and darkness of the film. If you like black comedies (like me), you'll love this! Whoever thought of casting such a genius combination of these three great actors in this film should be applauded. Hawn and Streep are excellently cast as the two feisty women competing over Ernest, desperately hanging on to their long-gone youth and stopping at NOTHING to get what they want - the bitch fight between the two gals is a scene NOT to be missed!

All in all, "Death Becomes Her" is a deliciously dark comedy with a brilliant cast, great direction and some pretty convincing special effects - considering it was made way back in 1992!

Death Becomes Her

[jboothmillard · 7/10 · 28 June 2006]

From Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump), this is a fantastic black fantasy comedy with great stars and story. Basically Madeline Ashton (Golden Globe nominated Meryl Streep) finds Lisle Von Rhoman (Isabella Rossellini, you see her great arse and cleavage) who has a potion to make her younger, stop ageing, and avoid death. When she gets home, her man Dr. Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis) has plans to kill her and be with Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn). But obviously the potion rescues Madeline from a broken neck, and she is still walking, with her head twisted backwards. Soon after, Helen also takes the potion, and avoids a large gun shot in her stomach. Towards the end, Ernest can't handle being with either of them, and after they co-operate, and Ernest finally dies (naturally), it ends with them finally falling apart, but Madeline still gets a good final line. It won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, and it won the BAFTA for Best Special Effects. Very good!

A comedy that is light on jokes and heavy on unpleasant characters

[blott2319-1 · 5/10 · 8 June 2022]

The biggest problem I have with Death Becomes Her is that we spend the entire runtime with some of the most unpleasant and unlikable characters imaginable. I suppose the doctor is shown with some redeeming qualities, but they only shine through because he's got such miserable women with him. I can't fault the acting, in fact I think the trio are pretty great at playing the characters they are asked to portray. Bruce Willis in particular is able to show off his excellent comedic timing in a role that isn't like his typical fare. Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn are good at portraying these hyper-competitive women who value their looks over everything. The characters are established well, as there is plenty of build-up in the movie, so I just need to be clear all that irritates me is that they are people I don't want to spend time with even when just watching them on my TV.

I do appreciate some background work to start off a film and give backstory to the characters. My problem with that in Death Becomes Her is that there really aren't any laughs until the big inciting incident takes place. For a comedy to take more than 30 minutes to even make me chuckle once, they're doing something wrong. There are a few good jokes throughout the film, when it finally gets rolling. I think I appreciated that so much of the comedy is about awful things happening to these despicable people. There's also a lot of great special effects work involved in the movie. At times it can look a bit like the visual effects they used for the Toons in Roger Rabbit, but otherwise it is quite effective. Death Becomes Her is obviously a well-made film, and I can see how other viewers might love it. I just needed more laughs and a protagonist that I could root for when the going got tough.

Let the Cat-Fight Begin

[nycritic · 8/10 · 19 May 2005]

If only Bette Davis and Joan Crawford could be alive today and see this! Two emasculating she-wolfs battling it out - they think - because they want one man, but really, it's all about ego and oneupmanship, and with two equally established actresses such as Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn, both looking exceptionally beautiful in their mid-40s, DEATH BECOMES HER is a visual treat that throws back an unintentional but hilarious reference to the aforementioned divas who preceded them. Very tongue-in-cheek, and whoever saw (and read) the sustained repulsion Davis and Crawford sustained throughout their life, mirrored in WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? will not be lost on the background reference.

A simple premise presides: Madeline Ashton (Streep), a fading B-movie actress, relegated to performing an awful musical based on SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH, sets sight on renown surgeon Ernest Manville (Bruce Willis) whom Helen Sharp (Hawn) has taken to meet her as a test to prove he will still be hers after their meet. Needless to say, he drops his commitment to Helen, marries Madeline, and sends Helen into a spiraling self-destruct mode. Years later she becomes a bloated whale - a shell of her former self - living in total abandon, watching Madeline's movies obsessively, seething in hatred, until she is evicted from her apartment and has a brilliant idea while in a mental facility: she must eliminate Madeline.

Madeline, on the other end, is no less happy. A total, absolute bitch, she has reduced Ernest to blubber. She hates the way she looks at 50 and the way young girls preen their perky looks. Both live in marital hell. An invite to attend Helen's book party (on beauty) has her howling in laughter - beauty tips from a disgusting fattie? Please! - but when she sees that Helen is now a svelte redhead, she balks - and their reunion is one of dripping, beautiful venom, the highlight of the entire movie. Distraught, she seeks the advice of a mysterious woman, Lisle von Rhuman whom she was referred to earlier, and she gives her what seems an innocent potion to drink which will restore her looks. Meanwhile, Helen is planning to have Ernest dispose of Madeline and rekindling their botched affair. When Madeline returns home, she gets into a heated argument with Ernest and he pushes her down the stairs. She is dead.

Or is she? A marvelous setup that until this point in the story works, but one which later takes a left turn to be overcome by silly fight scenes and cartoonish special effects that recall Tim Burton circa 1987. The triangle of actors work absolutely perfectly here, Streep drips with venomous lines reminiscent of Elizabeth Taylor's overwhelming performance as Martha in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?; however, Hawn and Willis, while established as personalities more than actors of considerable range, fare better than Streep in that she is "expected" to play hers to perfection. Hawn on the other hand proves she's capable of very dark roles that suggest more than they give. Willis, stripped of his usual machismo, comes across as a broken man who throughout most of the film is emasculated but makes one crucial decision which saves him from an uncertain fate. Casting these three actors are cast against type works in this edgy comedy, and if anything, it's final act is its own weakness, as if the writers had somehow not known where to go with the inevitable, violent encounter between them but all in all, it's still very enjoyable.

Robert Zemeckis, though, makes one glaring mistake during one of the key scenes. When Streep rises from the ground, we see Willis in the foreground talking on the phone to Helen who wants to know if she is dead. We know she is not; the deep focus has established she is not. As she slowly makes her way to where Willis is, Zemeckis chooses to cut to Hawn for a brief second. Big mistake. We don't need to see her sitting in front of her shrine of hatred for Madeline - we know she hates her, it's quite clear - so he should have held that scene perfectly still, allowing us to see Streep get closer and closer to the forefront. That is suspense in itself: how will Willis react to seeing his wife shuffling her way to him. But the use of deep focus is something that has fallen out of vogue in film-making, as if they've lost the interest to really tell a visual story, and the quick cut to Hawn being the need to give her a moment's screen time.

The first part of this movie really does not prepare you for what you're getting.

[GiraffeDoor · 7/10 · 22 June 2022]

There's no movie quite like this satire on the tinseltown obsession with youth and longevity which also has some things to say about humanity's relationship with mortality in general.

Don't think this is a snooty movie though; what we have is a darkly comic and grotesquely fun romp as two strong willed woman run a splineless male through the mill.

Some laughs here and there, but I would prefer death than an eternity of watching movies like this.

[Aaron1375 · 4/10 · 10 June 2010]

I never really cared for this movie all that much. For some reason this film, I believe, went on to win an academy award for special effects for reasons I do not know. Are the effects good? Sort of, but I did not really find them all that special even for the time this film was released. Then again, a lot of movies that win special effects awards are nothing really all that great in a lot of cases and there is usually something that is a lot better that either gets snubbed from Oscar consideration all together are loses out to the more mediocre film. I remember this happened when in 1995 "True Lies" lost out to "Forrest Gump". This film is about three unpleasant people. A husband and wife who really are not getting along all that well and a lady from the woman's past who is fighting over the husband character for reasons unknown as she does not seem to care to much for him either. Bruce Willis plays the husband and is not really in typical Bruce Willis mode. He is playing a bit of a clueless dork in this one. Well one of the females is experiencing the aging process and is offered a chance to reverse it by a strange lady in a mansion. Well she gets more than she bargains for as the stuff she gets does in fact reverse aging and stops it, but if something happens to her body there could be grave consequences. Meanwhile, the other woman played by Goldie Hawn, is trying to convince the husband to take care of his wife once and for all. Overall, I have to say I found the movie a bit dull and to long considering the plot. However, there are some good parts here and there usually involve some horrible maiming of the two competing ladies. Another problem though is that all three character are very unlikable and it kind of drags the movie down when you find all the main characters irritating. Streep plays the wife and she gripes to much, Goldie is playing a darker character than I am used to, and Willis is a dork as stated before. Just not my kind of movie as it did not resonate well with me, it could be for someone else though.