
Men
If director Alex Garland had any sense of humor at all, he would have titled the movie “Fear and Loathing in Cotson”. As it is, Men is about how badly men behave, particularly when they are rejected by women. Jesse Buckley plays Harper, a woman suffering in a marriage with the violent and emotional James (Paapa Essiedu). When she says she wants a divorce, he threatens her with committing suicide. He figures she would prefer to stay married over having to deal with the guilt of his death, but Harper is determined. James dies suddenly, and it’s unclear whether it was intentional or an accident. Some time afterwards, Harper decides to take a vacation. She rents a house in the English countryside. Once there, Harper meets proprietor Geoffrey, an overly polite English type. On a walk, she’s stalked by a naked man. Shortly afterwards, she is confronted by an angry child, an oily vicar, a dismissive policeman and assorted male dullards, all played by Rory Kinnear. (“The Many Faces of Rory Kinnear” would also have been a better title.)
Each Kinnear starts out by being nice to Harper, only to reveal their true ugliness when she rejects their advances. Yes, (some) men act like assholes when the object of their affection rebuffs them. Unfortunately, that is all that Men has to offer thematically. Garland has met the enemy, and it is men. In his righteous hands, feminism is blunt instrument and the audience a set of nails to be pounded. Problem is, the audience for this movie is likely full of converts. Allegorical horror movies like these are easy to admire for their audacity and conviction. I admire Garland’s guts with seeing his vision through. Unfortunately, the movie is such an obvious and didactic affair that it becomes ridiculous very early on. It’s a well crafted and well acted movie, but it lacks any subtlety and nuance. The more serious it becomes, the more laughs it induces. I smell a cult movie. Not recommended.
Continue reading “Men”