The Women (12A)

Less a remake of Joan Crawford’s 1939 chick flick than Sex And The City 2, this underpowered story of a New York socialite (Meg Ryan) rocked by her (unseen) husband’s infidelity with sexy shop girl Eva Mendes never provides a compelling reason for revisiting George Cukor’s original.

Yes, Annette Bening does a great Kim Cattrall impression as Meg’s waspish best friend, while old-timers Candice Bergen and Cloris Leachman impress as her wise mother and devoted housekeeper respectively.

But support acts Debra Messing and Jada Pinkett Smith are mere irritants as the pregnant and lesbian members of the central quartet respectively, while the ribald chitchat (“I could suck nails out of a board!” Ryan boasts at one point) can’t excuse soapy theatrics that makes Dove’s participation as a promotional partner only too appropriate.

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