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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Films about men doing stuff

16 replies

Joannapianna · 19/04/2022 10:13

I'm not sure if this is just me getting old but I'm getting less and less prepared to sit through films that are just about men doing stuff in the company of other men, occasionally with a female sidekick to whom they have to teach stuff (and even if the female is their superior, there's usually a "valuable life lesson" that they have to demonstrate). Do other people feel the same or should I just go pour myself a glass of wine and grumble to myself in a corner?

OP posts:
NecklessMumster · 19/04/2022 10:15

Check out the bechdel test

PurpleDaisies · 19/04/2022 10:16

The last film I watched was The Martian. That was very good so I don’t think I agree.
Do you want recommendations for female led films? Wild is great.

Original poster
Joannapianna · 19/04/2022 10:44

Cheers PurpleDaisies - no, I'm OK for female led films thanks and I don't dispute that there are some very good films that feature men but also so many mediocre ones - it's the imbalance that bugs me

OP posts:
elQuintoConyo · 19/04/2022 10:45

For god's sake don't watch Locke. Total boring wankfest of shit.

BigFatLiar · 19/04/2022 10:48

Most films are people 'doing stuff' whether male or female some are good some aren't. There are good female based films try A League of Their Own, a bit old but interesting.

Original poster
Joannapianna · 19/04/2022 10:50

And yes, I know re Bechdel test - it's very useful (sorry, your post keeps vanishing behind an advert and I have no idea how to get rid of it!). My issue though is my level of tolerance (or lack of it). Stuff that I just shrugged at one time and went "ah well" really bugs me now.

OP posts:
BigFatLiar · 19/04/2022 10:50

Men don't have a monopoly on crap films try the remake of ghostbusters (we gave up on it). Rubbish films seem to be on the rise.

Merlott · 19/04/2022 10:54

Once you notice it, can't unsee it. It does grate as time goes on. The new Joker movie was particularly yawnsome in that respect, absolutely lazy and boring (ignoring how offensive it was in terms of MH representation).

My issue is I actually prefer action movies, i.e. men running around blowing things up. The female led movies have too much talking in for my liking. Now if there were female characters who spoke as little as the male characters, and spent most of their time blowing stuff up then that would be true equality Grin

BigFatLiar · 19/04/2022 10:54

If its atarting to bug you just stop watching those films. If you wait till its on the telly you can just turn over. It's not just films though a lot of TV these days is poor.

Perhaps we're just getting old and grumpy.

Onionpatch · 19/04/2022 10:57

I think its age. I do enjoy a good film about men doing stuff with other men. There are some really good films about. I just sometimes want to watch films about women doing stuff with other women that arent romance at the heart of it. Like films about women doing interesting things and their deep friendships. There are far, far less of these and its started to irritate me too now i am older.

DressingPafe · 19/04/2022 10:58

Yep, I watched “how it ends” last night and it was exactly as you describe. I ended up forwarding through to the end as I was so bored.

We did watch Suffragette a couple of weeks back which was very good. Although it did leave me with an air of sadness that we still have a long way to go with regards to womens rights.

Mrssebastianstan · 19/04/2022 11:35

OP please, FGS don’t watch any of the ‘Kingsmen’ films if you value your blood pressure.
DH swears I was screaming about taking down the fucking patriarchy by the end of the second.

BigCheeseSandwich · 19/04/2022 11:44

Yes OP!

And also yes @Mrssebastianstan. They are Fucking dire.

nosyupnorth · 19/04/2022 11:45

Urgh hard agree. And don't forget the trope where a woman is super-competent/a leader in her field and then a totally inexpert man comes along and either has a 'stroke of genius' that lets him solve some problem she's been working on for years or with just a few days training he is able to surpass her either through general manly prowess or because he is some sort of 'chosen one' ordained by the plot to be better than anybody who has put the work in (nearly always a woman who is demoted to sidekick/love interest).

Original poster
Joannapianna · 19/04/2022 12:54

Also, I sometimes wonder about the impact it has on young men if they only see women presented as "appendages"

OP posts:
NightmareSlashDelightful · 19/04/2022 13:00

@Merlott

Once you notice it, can't unsee it. It does grate as time goes on. The new Joker movie was particularly yawnsome in that respect, absolutely lazy and boring (ignoring how offensive it was in terms of MH representation).

My issue is I actually prefer action movies, i.e. men running around blowing things up. The female led movies have too much talking in for my liking. Now if there were female characters who spoke as little as the male characters, and spent most of their time blowing stuff up then that would be true equality Grin

If you haven't seen Atomic Blonde (Charlize Theron) it might be your thing
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