I know this is a question out of the blue but it suddenly annoyed me. Why don't I like Mel Gibson anymore? "The Patriot" was the kind of movie that makes you want to put a brick through the screen. It's crudeness was hateful, but it wasn't his fault.
It was the other way around with "What Women Want". It wasn't a bad idea but Mel made it so. Yes, I know he did that nice wee dance to the Sinatra song and was a bit brave by wearing tights and nail polish, but this charm seemed calculated. Dreamt up by the marketing department. I kept looking at the film and thinking "Why is this so wrong?". Then it clicked. Subtly but disturbingly, Mel's face no-longer matches his body.
They are undignified together. From the neck down he's still got the fitness magazine six-pack and the physique of a 20-year-old jock, but in the facial and hair area it's a different story. His coiff is getting close to that unfeasible wiry brillo pad look with which Hollywood thatches its aging action heroes (see Connery, Burt Reynolds) - too dark and immobile. And his face is that of a 45-year-old, which of course it should be. It's the truthful part of the whole package.
The effect is like one of those kids' flip books where you put different heads on the same body. If he can't do anything about the face and hair then he should really let the body catch up a bit. Then he could play real men again.
Agree? Disagree? Have your say.
