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August 11, 2006
Misogyny Writ Large
In the rush of films that were released around Xmas last year, I knew I could leave Woody Allen's newest for Netflix. After all, no matter how good the cinematography is, it looks perfectly large enough on my teevee. Little did I realize it would be a film that makes me disturbed to be alone.
A bit of warning - if you haven't seen Match Point yet, don't read this post. I usually try to leave a lot to the imagination when I comment on films, but I can't this time.
I admit that I was taken by the type casting - Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is one of my top ten screen candy, and having known someone who lusted after ScoJo, I was intrigued by the match.
But for the love of all things beautiful, could someone please start making movies that involve realistic female characters rather than "shameless blonde hussies" and "nagging shrews"? (Tip of the hat to Stephanie Zacharek for those descriptions in her Salon review of the movie.)
I am so sick of seeing the world through men's eyes. Male writers, male directors, male protagonists. This wouldn't bother me so much if they cared as much about the female characters as they do their males screen gods. I remembered that both Ebert and the NYT loved this movie; I remembered that a coworker also enjoyed it. So I was surprised at my revulsion. It's not that I need ultra-pure morality in film to enjoy it. I appreciate looking at the dark side of life as much as the next person. But I cannot stand when women are used as the balls and chains clinging desperately to the men around them. I've been known to enjoy romantic comedies in my day, and I've enjoyed a chick lit book or two, but this is a whole new level of deprivation.
My fury is not caused by the fact that two murders are swept under the rug; that the murderer is only punished in his head. My problem is that every female character is 100% negative; and every man has to placate these women in order to get on with their good lives.
Allowing the murders to happen off screen carries on the general detachment the viewer is forced to have from the film, a fact pointed out in Keith Uhlich's review in Slant Magazine. But seriously - does every Allen-replacing-actor have to succumb to infidelity because of the shrieking hag he's married to? How bout changing up the formula a bit and allowing the women to screw around because their husbands can't keep it up?
When the movie made it's final turn off the cliff, I started wondering - am I the only one who sees the blatant misogyny in this film? I'm relieved to see that I'm not. But I'm also disturbed that venerable critics such as Ebert and A.O. Scott couldn't see past the slick images of London high society and read the writing on the wall.
rotten tomatoes entry for this decidedly rotten tomato.
Posted by cj at August 11, 2006 09:12 PM