Rating: 
Summary: A surprisingly good film
Review: At first glance, this film appears like many afterlife concept films of its time: flawed man dies, must return to earth to do a good deed, agents in heaven and hell await the outcome. But this movie is surprisingly different, on a number of counts. First, it is less a tale about morality and goodness than it is about gender. And as a comedy about gender, it is both excelent and unique. This is in no small part due to the extremely talented Ellen Barkin, whose skill at physical comedy shines in this role as a man on earth in a woman's body. The film takes quite a few unexpected turns before ending much too neatly, its greatest flaw.
Rating:
Summary: A surprisingly good film
Review: At first glance, this film appears like many afterlife concept films of its time: flawed man dies, must return to earth to do a good deed, agents in heaven and hell await the outcome. But this movie is surprisingly different, on a number of counts. First, it is less a tale about morality and goodness than it is about gender. And as a comedy about gender, it is both excelent and unique. This is in no small part due to the extremely talented Ellen Barkin, whose skill at physical comedy shines in this role as a man on earth in a woman's body. The film takes quite a few unexpected turns before ending much too neatly, its greatest flaw.
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly deep
Review: At first glance, this film looks like it's going to be a slapstick clone of so many other Blake Edwards' productions. And, in fact, the film does contain a great many scenes that would tend to belong under the "slapstick" genre. Surprisingly, however, there is much more to this film. The plot centers around a man named Steve Brooks who is a womanizer squared. He's handsome, charming, well built & has a "way" with women. Unfortunately, he also has a heart of granite & leaves a wake of heartbroken women behind him. One day, 3 ex-girlfriends plot their revenge. They lure him into a hot tub and murder him. Steve makes it to Purgatory, but is told he is right on the borderline between having his final destination be heaven or hell. To break the deadlock, God (who is both male & female) sets forth a task: he must find a woman who truly likes him for who he is (and not for some fast-talking come-on line) in order for him to get inside the pearly gates. At the last moment, the Devil enters the picture and puts on a twist: Steve must get a woman to like him AS a woman! Ellen Barkin is marvelous as a man trying to figure out how to be a woman. Barkin does a particularly impressive job moving like a man thru out the film and her performance truly steals the show. So far, it sounds like your typical gender-switching comedy, only with a twist. However, the plot contains many more unanticipated twists. It also deals with some very serious issues that make it nothing short of a dark comedy. Again, this is quite unexpected from looking @ the cover. I would recommend this film for people who enjoy getting a little more than what they bargained for. As the religious deities obviously parody the Judeo / Christian tradition, I would NOT suggest this film for people who are easily offended. In short, the film takes turns poking fun @ men, poking fun @ women & poking fun @ religion. It turns out to be a good comedy, but a dark one.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly deep
Review: At first glance, this film looks like it's going to be a slapstick clone of so many other Blake Edwards' productions. And, in fact, the film does contain a great many scenes that would tend to belong under the "slapstick" genre. Surprisingly, however, there is much more to this film. The plot centers around a man named Steve Brooks who is a womanizer squared. He's handsome, charming, well built & has a "way" with women. Unfortunately, he also has a heart of granite & leaves a wake of heartbroken women behind him. One day, 3 ex-girlfriends plot their revenge. They lure him into a hot tub and murder him. Steve makes it to Purgatory, but is told he is right on the borderline between having his final destination be heaven or hell. To break the deadlock, God (who is both male & female) sets forth a task: he must find a woman who truly likes him for who he is (and not for some fast-talking come-on line) in order for him to get inside the pearly gates. At the last moment, the Devil enters the picture and puts on a twist: Steve must get a woman to like him AS a woman! Ellen Barkin is marvelous as a man trying to figure out how to be a woman. Barkin does a particularly impressive job moving like a man thru out the film and her performance truly steals the show. So far, it sounds like your typical gender-switching comedy, only with a twist. However, the plot contains many more unanticipated twists. It also deals with some very serious issues that make it nothing short of a dark comedy. Again, this is quite unexpected from looking @ the cover. I would recommend this film for people who enjoy getting a little more than what they bargained for. As the religious deities obviously parody the Judeo / Christian tradition, I would NOT suggest this film for people who are easily offended. In short, the film takes turns poking fun @ men, poking fun @ women & poking fun @ religion. It turns out to be a good comedy, but a dark one.
Rating:
Summary: See How The Other Half Lives!
Review: Blake Edwards does a fine job of directing his own original script for his gender, but not comically challenged film. .............. We open with advertising executive Steve Brooks (Perry King), a cad in every sense of the word. We are clear that Steve has broken many hearts, three of which turn on him at once. As three of his scorned women decide to lure him into a hotub where he thinks the women have invited him for a multiple seduction, they get their revenge and drown him instead. .............. Now Steve is dead, but hasn't quite reached heaven yet. I suppose you could say he's in purgatory, until, as god requires, he can get one female to truly love him. That would be a cinch for the unrepentant romeo except for the fact that at the last minute, the devil intervenes and decides he must get a female to truly love him AS another female, enter a great comic performance from Ellen Barkin. ................ Ellen Barkin playing a female version of Perry King's Steve was great casting, since the two DO look so similar. Barkin is truly comical as Amanda. She tells Ad boss Tony Dow, that she's Steve's sister, again, believable. What's not believable? A high powered Ad agency letting a top executives sister, fill his now high-heeled shoes. Hey, no one said this film was realistic. However, the stepping in and filling anothers shoes becomes forefront, as Amanda takes over for Steve. She also has to get used to being a woman. This is not an easy task. She desperately confesses to one of her murdering ex-lovers who she really is. The ex then comes to Amanda's aid, teaching her how to do all the things girls do. Barkin is worthy of Lucille Ball slapstick status as she hilariously teeters around on those hard to fill high-heel shoes, tripping and grasping walls. She must also remember that since she is a woman physically, mentally she must think and feel as one too, and can no longer covet fellow women. All that to keep in mind, while dealing with lascivious glances and advances from men as well. In particular she has to fight off boss Tony Dow, and figure out the relationship with her buddy from work played by Jimmy Smits. Amanda also tells Smits she's really Steve, and he will be the one person that can get her to heaven and out of this jam, but I can't tell you how, you'll have to watch and see! ................ The most confusing part for Amanda will be how she is to deal with a sought after client (Lorraine Bracco) who is a lesbian, and wants a relationship with her. She could wrap up the deal if she submits to Bracco's advances, but doesn't feel comfortable as a man inside a womans body, making love with a woman who doesn't like men. Confusing? Not at all. I can guarantee you'll be amused at every scene. ................ While "Switch" was not a tremendous commercial success for Blake Edwards like "10", amongst many others in his career, and treads in a similar water with his "Victor/Victoria", it is a highly watchable, humorous and delighfully happy film that you should not miss. If you are a fan of actress Ellen Barkin, she really shines here in a fine comical AND sympathetic performance. I mention sympathetic because, when the script and direction are done right, you WILL care about the characters. When Steve is sent back to earth as Amanda and tries her hardest to find a female to truly love her, you as the viewer, female OR male, will fall in love too, with her AND this unique comedy film.
Rating:
Summary: See How The Other Half Lives!
Review: Blake Edwards does a fine job of directing his own original script for his gender, but not comically challenged film. .............. We open with advertising executive Steve Brooks (Perry King), a cad in every sense of the word. We are clear that Steve has broken many hearts, three of which turn on him at once. As three of his scorned women decide to lure him into a hotub where he thinks the women have invited him for a multiple seduction, they get their revenge and drown him instead. .............. Now Steve is dead, but hasn't quite reached heaven yet. I suppose you could say he's in purgatory, until, as god requires, he can get one female to truly love him. That would be a cinch for the unrepentant romeo except for the fact that at the last minute, the devil intervenes and decides he must get a female to truly love him AS another female, enter a great comic performance from Ellen Barkin. ................ Ellen Barkin playing a female version of Perry King's Steve was great casting, since the two DO look so similar. Barkin is truly comical as Amanda. She tells Ad boss Tony Dow, that she's Steve's sister, again, believable. What's not believable? A high powered Ad agency letting a top executives sister, fill his now high-heeled shoes. Hey, no one said this film was realistic. However, the stepping in and filling anothers shoes becomes forefront, as Amanda takes over for Steve. She also has to get used to being a woman. This is not an easy task. She desperately confesses to one of her murdering ex-lovers who she really is. The ex then comes to Amanda's aid, teaching her how to do all the things girls do. Barkin is worthy of Lucille Ball slapstick status as she hilariously teeters around on those hard to fill high-heel shoes, tripping and grasping walls. She must also remember that since she is a woman physically, mentally she must think and feel as one too, and can no longer covet fellow women. All that to keep in mind, while dealing with lascivious glances and advances from men as well. In particular she has to fight off boss Tony Dow, and figure out the relationship with her buddy from work played by Jimmy Smits. Amanda also tells Smits she's really Steve, and he will be the one person that can get her to heaven and out of this jam, but I can't tell you how, you'll have to watch and see! ................ The most confusing part for Amanda will be how she is to deal with a sought after client (Lorraine Bracco) who is a lesbian, and wants a relationship with her. She could wrap up the deal if she submits to Bracco's advances, but doesn't feel comfortable as a man inside a womans body, making love with a woman who doesn't like men. Confusing? Not at all. I can guarantee you'll be amused at every scene. ................ While "Switch" was not a tremendous commercial success for Blake Edwards like "10", amongst many others in his career, and treads in a similar water with his "Victor/Victoria", it is a highly watchable, humorous and delighfully happy film that you should not miss. If you are a fan of actress Ellen Barkin, she really shines here in a fine comical AND sympathetic performance. I mention sympathetic because, when the script and direction are done right, you WILL care about the characters. When Steve is sent back to earth as Amanda and tries her hardest to find a female to truly love her, you as the viewer, female OR male, will fall in love too, with her AND this unique comedy film.
Rating:
Summary: An Absolute Laugh Riot
Review: Ellen Barkins character starts out the movie as a man who thinks nothing of using women like toilet paper. He is an ad exec who ends up killed by three women who truly despised being used by him. He is ressurected as a female after a disagreement between god and the devil, for you see Barkin's character has a limited time to find a woman who truly loves him. Jimmy Smits play's the best friend of Barkin's character. When he has sex with her (she's passed out-drunk), things get interesting, and only more complicated.
Rating:
Summary: Much better than reviews.Barkin nails female/male mix.
Review: For a movie dismissed by reviewers as second-rate, I submit as evidence to the contrary the now countless times this film, it's issues, and Barkin's extraordinary performance have come into my conversations with both men and women. Of how it would be for an insatiable wolf who enjoyed everything he could use about women to suddenly be a woman. To his simultaneous horror and fascination, he is beautiful, with an amazing body. The initial scenes when he discovers that his primary evidence of manhood is gone, and when he finds beautiful breasts under his pyjamas have made me laugh out loud every time I've caught portions of the movie on TV. Just walking in heels, dealing with blow-drying his gorgeous hair, putting on makeup, how she/he unconsciously talks with a man's expressions, both facially and vocally are all a testament to Barkin and to damn good writing and directing. Having seen the movie tonight straight through for the first time in years, I went straight to this site and bought it. When it next comes up in a discussion, instead of telling my friends, I'll show them and enjoy watching their reactions as well. Ignore the reviews. Buy it. The first hour alone is worth the price. Finally, to clarify the perspective of my comments, I am a woman who both attracts men and finds much more in common with them than women friends.
Rating: 
Summary: "Why Don't You Just Have an Abortion?"
Review: Jimmy Smits' delivers this line so nonchalantly and with such a (forced) straight face that the effect is freakish and tacky. Come to think of it, the whole movie is like that. Awful.
Rating:
Summary: great gender-bender comedy
Review: Playboy Steve Brooks, who's spend most of his adult life loving and leaving women, is finally murdered by one of his ex-lovers. In purgatory, God (who speaks with two voices-one male, one female, and at one point even referres to him/herself as "we", not "I".) tells Steve that, if he wants to be saved from eternity in hell, he must get a woman to love him for who he is, not for how he is in bed. At first, Steve is sent back exactly as he is, only not dead. But then Lucifer appears, complaining that the set up's not fair, because it would be too easy for Steve to get a woman to fall in love with him. That's when God, at Satan's suggestion, turns Steve into a woman, forcing him to have to get a woman to love him for who he (she?) really is. And off we go! I especially loved the way it ended. I felt it was a really nice way to wrap things up. I kind of wished they'd pursued things a little more with Steve/Amanda and the lesbian executive, however.
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