Is How to Be a Woman and Not Die in the Attempt Worth Watching? Honest Movie Review & Audience Verdict (1991)

📖 The Core Premise

With the release of How to Be a Woman and Not Die in the Attempt (1991), audiences are invited back into the world of Comedy. At its heart, the film explores complex themes wrapped in a compelling storyline. As the plot unfolds, we see characters navigating a world where stakes are high. "Carmen, a journalist with two children, is on her third marriage, to Antonio, a record producer. Over the course of a year, we follow her through her discontents: Antonio's lateness, his fatigue when she wants to make love, his insistence on her company when she prefers solitude, his treating her work as less important than his, his casual and cruel dismissal of her opinions, her boss assigning her an incompetent editor, bartenders ignoring her, her passage into middle age. She can be feisty and edgy, which sometimes gets in the way of what would make her happy. And she regularly threatens to leave Antonio. Will she, and on what terms? What will he do?"

🎬 Performance & Direction

A movie's success often hinges on its execution. Carmen Maura does well with the material given, though the script occasionally limits their range. The direction aims to balance pacing with character development, a hallmark of good Comedy. While there are moments of brilliance, the pacing occasionally dips.

🤔 Why You Should Watch (or Skip)

Is How to Be a Woman and Not Die in the Attempt worth your time? If you appreciate Comedy films that take risks, this is likely a decent one-time watch. However, if you are looking for a flawless masterpiece, you might find some plot points predictable.

🏆 Final Verdict

Ultimately, How to Be a Woman and Not Die in the Attempt is a mixed bag with some redeeming qualities. With a runtime of 100 minutes, it asks for a significant time investment, but for the right audience, it pays off.

Our recommendation: Watch on OTT.