Without Men (2011) User Reviews

Banking on half clothed women to carry a film

[r-pattengale · 3/10 · 22 September 2011]

The creators of this film seemed to believe that the heavy sexual undertones and half clothed women would carry this film. They were mistaken.

The movie begins with Christian Slater, a reporter stuck scrounging for a story, coming across a journal of Oscar Nunez (Oscar from The Office). Oscar describes a village that had all of it's men carried away to fight in a war which left all of the women to fend for themselves. Considering many of them can't read or write, or even change a light bulb, this would be no easy task. Eva Longoria declares herself mayor and tries to get everyone to work together to build the Utopian town of women.

From the beginning this movie was hard to sit through. It became obvious very early on that the movie would not be carried on it's own but rather gambled on the fact that the hope of seeing girl on girl action would keep the viewer in their place. I cringed at the thought that Christian Slater, Oscar Nunez, and Eva Longoria actually read this script and went on board to make this ridiculous movie.

The acting and storyline were bad and the only thing I came away with is wishing I could have that part of my life back. I would have rather gotten the laundry caught up.

Insulting to Intelligence

[godzilla68 · 24 October 2011]

I didn't think that in this day and age and how far we have advanced, that a movie could be this bad. To think that people sat in a room and said, I think this is a good idea for a movie, AND people agreed to do it!!??? Shame on everyone involved to put this garbage out. I guess people will do anything for money! This movie is easily one of the worst movies EVER made hence its 2.3 score. I sat through about the first 10 minutes of the movie and couldn't continue. My wife sat through it because she's an Eva Longoria fan, but after this movie I'm not so sure anymore. Horrible acting, horrible story with horrible attempts at I'm not sure what accents. Did I say this movie was horrible? Don't waste your time and show these people you wouldn't stand for this kind of garbage anymore.

Bottom of the Barrel

[gradyharp · 1/10 · 24 April 2012]

Some movies beg indulgence form the audience. This movie should beg forgiveness from the people who financed it. Based on a novel by James Canon and adapted for the screen and directed by Gabriela Tagliavini, the story (what little there is of it) concerns the women of a remote Latin American town who are forced to pick up the pieces and remake their world when all the town's men are forcibly recruited by communist guerrillas. They are devastated that they have to do 'men's work' such as cleaning the town and governing the village. The local priest (Oscar Nuñez) prays to God and is instructed that he must populate the village with new men by sleeping with all the women of childbearing age. Unable to perform his duties, he is ostracized. One woman (Eva Longoria) becomes mayor and the women gradually make the town a women's place - yes, even to the point of deciding that physical relationships between women are just fine and clothing is optional. A side bar story that simply doesn't fit is the presence of a reporter (Christian Slater) who is sent by his boss (Camryn Manheim) to get a front page article about the little town of only women. Et cetera.....

The lines these poor actors are giving are so poor that they are embarrassing, but the level of acting in general is on the junior high school level. Slater has so little to do that it seems as though he was hired simply to sell tickets in the theaters. This is a 'must miss' little bit of deflated fluff.

Grady Harp

Totally Not Funny! 1/10

[leonblackwood · 1/10 · 6 July 2013]

Review: The director done a bad job putting this movie together because the storyline had the makings for a good movie. It's been made so you don't take it that seriously, although the there are some moments that make you think about how you would react if you was in that situation. The main problem isn't with the acting, which was played by some quite attractive women, but its the way that the some what, serious situation, was portrayed as an unfunny comedy. Disappointing!

Round-Up: This is another one of those movies were they have put the main attraction, which in this case is supposed to be Christian Slater, all over the poster when he has nothing to really do with it. Maria Conchita Alonso who has starred in movies like the Running Man & Colors, has had way too much plastic surgery. It makes her look like a totally different and strange person. Eva Longoria looks great, as usual, but it made me feel a bit uncomfortable, watching her playing such a terrible role.

Budget: $4.7million (On What?) Worldwide Gross: N/A

I recommend this movie to people who like there silly comedies about women living without men. 1/10

Without Men(from a man's perspective)

[scorpion-52 · 8/10 · 22 December 2011]

I truly do not understand the negativity towards this film at all, it dosen't deserve such a low rating. The premise of an entire town of women is carried out pretty well, I can see how some might be offended by the female characters not being able to read or wanting to do work, but if you can look past that, you'll see a charming, witty(funniest part for me was the women learning the joys of masturbation), lighthearted film with warm and likable characters, the relationship between Eva and Castillo is truly beautiful and heartwarming. There's also some interesting social commentary and female customs, for example, the women decide to make up their own time of 28 suns instead of 30 days(to go along with a women's cycle), the male performers do an adequate job, though their shortsided(understandable given the premise)Oscar Nunez is a hoot as the impotent priest and Slater does well enough as the straight man, all in all this film was a very pleasant surprise and I would highly recommend it.

Nice Movie

[kkish-hyd5 · 7/10 · 14 July 2014]

A nice movie to get your time pass with the hot Mexican actress and good story line on which their husbands has been taken away for war and all the wives left in the town. A very well pictured artistically about a small Latin town.

A very good feel to watch this movie.

It is the story adopted from "Tales from the Town of Widows" by -James Cañón

The Plot starts with the narration of a church father of the small town scene in which government authorities capture men from a small town to let them fight in the war. Many of those men try to escape from the officers but still they were caught and only church father is left along with another guy(who is a jerk and henpecked) who been dressed up like a woman with the help of his wife is left in the town and the rest of the other men were taken away. Slowly the absence of men in that little town leads a miserable life to their wives and all the wives discuss to solve the issue by themselves. The Mayor's wife(Eva Longoria) leads the town as a new mayor and others follow their husbands roles in the town like doctor, police, milkman etc.

The only problem is how to reproduce their heirs without their men thinking their men will return from the war or not. In this scenario all the ladies think to have an intercourse with the church father in order to make children. The church father who sleeps with lot of women in the town but unable to produce any children as he later reveals that he is an impotent and he runs away from the town as all the women beats him to go away. A new woman(Kate del Castillo) shows up in the town with little manly looks in her and she will be attracted by the lady mayor. Then the story goes on with lust full nature of these 2 women and a man(Christian Slater) from war arrives the town unintentionally, that man is attracted by all the women in the town but he refuses for their proposition and let the men in the war know that their wives are waiting for their men. Later at the end all men will return from the war to meet their wives.

Middling but Longoria gives it her best shot

[mbs · 6 August 2011]

Film has a good enough premise but little else. Small Mexican community loses all of its men when they're all rounded up against their will to fight in some unnamed war and the women end up taking over just fine thank you...but as time goes on they find themselves missing their men and wonder what they're gonna do for survival ultimately deciding to try and repopulate their town by sleeping with the one man who is still there--the local priest! (played in a Way over the top performance by Oscar Nunez from "The Office" and "The Proposal") Meanwhile in an almost completely tacked on subplot hotshot intrepid war correspondent Chrisitan Slater is told of this village and sets out on his own to find it as a human interest story in the midst of all this war.

Movie keeps you watching in hopes that it will go somewhere interesting or so but ultimately goes nowhere. It doesn't help that almost every character in the movie is a one dimensional cartoon character--and even less subtle too boot. Film would actually be a complete and total mess were it not for the professional performance of Eva Longoria here. In fact I would go so far to say the reason why the film works at all would be because of the slightly greater depth Longoria gives her character. She actually manages to make her character seem like a better thought out character then the other assorted characters here and while i don't know if that's because the script focuses more on her or if its because Longoria gets to resemble an actual human being as opposed to the more comically exaggerated people here, i give her all the credit in the world for providing the film with someone to actually somewhat care about. (if only Slater's character had been given as much screen time to develop into someone worth caring about as well) Longoria plays the uptight wife of the mayor who gladly takes over after her husband is taken alongside the other men. Film is mostly about how she comes into her own while taking charge and making decisions for once, and also how she learns to loosen up while engaging in a flirtation with a lesbian drifter who becomes the sheriff of the town (as well as the town's resident bad ass) As a case of a former wallflower coming into her own the film actually works---as anything else however the film really doesn't. The film's tone is very broad and played in an over the top farcical style which doesn't really gel with the subject matter. While its nice to see a film with this subject matter not played in heavy handed award baiting sympathy mode...i'm not sure if taking the complete opposite tone was the right track either. The mixture of tones-- wild sex farce and true love amongst suffering village women could work well but doesn't really come off as well as it could here. The film should play well on cable TV tho where the bright colors and bouncy energy will help it stand out from what else is on tho it might not sustain your interest past the second or third commercial break.

Fun, cute and just a good time

[ettinger_lee · 9/10 · 31 March 2015]

Wow - those folks that wrote nasty reviews must be too serious!

I thought this was a super cute film. Very funny premise, and handled the sexy comedy really cute I thought. I was especially pleased with the way Christen Slater was added to the story line. Smaller films are harder to make - everyone in the business knows this. Yet this Director got some big and medium names to fill out clever casting choices. Well done I say!

Honestly - some of the scenes just had me laughing out loud - they were just what you want out of a light hearted, cute, escape from reality, fun film for an hour and half.

Its both light hearted kind of sexy - yet empowering for women. Didn't anyone else see that? You don't always have to be super serious to get your message across.

Bottom line - watch this cute little film and you will be glad you did - I guarantee it!!

Cheers and happy movie watching

lee

Absolutely awful...

[QuirkyCat · 9 May 2017]

I try to avoid writing negative reviews and never have I rated a movie 1 out of 10. There's always a first. From the pathetic story to the terrible acting, this is the biggest waste of time ever. It makes out like Christian Slater has a big role...alas, he has minimal screen time. Without rambling on, give this one a big miss.

Funny and Controvertial...

[aataglia · 10/10 · 13 October 2011]

The films is a great adaptation on the James Canyon novel... A great ensemble cast of Latino women play this funny movie! Great for women and couples... Director Tagliavini, faithful to her style combines colorful images with great choreographic acting. Oscar Nuñez participation is a chapter apart, giving a exhilarating performance as the priest of this town. Eva ( Longoria ) and Kate ( Del Castillo ) give a believable loving couple not to show a sexual behavior, but a sexy appealing loving partners. The music also needs to be mentioned, playing a great character in the film. Can't wait for the Latin America release ( Do somebody have the release dates? )

Wonderful entertainment

[mediaexpert · 13 October 2011]

Get your friends, get your popcorn and simply sit back and relax. The film is lighthearted, funny and vivacious, Eva Longoria shows she can indeed carry a movie, Christian Slater is so charismatic and especially Fernanda Romero sticks out in the cast. A new star is born. A town without men bares its challenges an when even the priest fails to keep the women in line and his fertility is an issue, you know you are in for an interesting ride. Tagliavini proves herself as a savvy screenwriter AND director both, sticks close to the book, yet gives its own strength and colors. The cinematography is stunning...matched by wonderful score. All in all simply a movie to love.