ibrahimctit
What I liked about this film:
-The movie begins with promise. We are presented with a very motivated and driven character who has a desire- to be a successful actor- and an obstacle before that goal, no one wants to hire him. This leaves the audience excited for what he will do to get their.
-The themes of identity and how it is connected to gender are refreshing, if not communicated as well as they could/should have been.
-Most of the interactions between Michael and his agent. What I did not like about this film:
-When Does Micheal Grow/ The Conclusion: Let's just right into it. The conclusion of this film is not good, for a number of reasons. I'm not talking about the last scene, I'm talking about most of the second half of the movie and how it leads up to the "resolution". Michael is a talented actor who can't get work because his obsession over character, so he decides to go to extreme measures. He pretends to be a woman and auditions for a part in a Soap so he can finally start acting working and so that he can raise money for a production he and his friends are putting on. He gets the gig, and as Dorothy, the character his is playing, he develops the reputation as a woman who doesn't put up with the shit you usually have to deal with in the business. At this point, the viewer is expecting the film to be simply about the trials Michael faces in trying to maintain this facade. Michael begins forming a deep connection with one of his co-workers, a woman also starring in the show, and he falls in love with her. The goal then shifts from how will Michael maintain this facade, to how will Michael win the heart of this woman when at some point she will inevitably discover she...is actually a he. This on top of the established challenge. The movie spends a lot of time showing us Michael dealing with the degrading treatment woman can face in working in the TV/Film industry. The audience now expects the film to show Michael learn what it is like to be the opposite sex. This actually allows the story the potential to go in some interesting directions. Here are the problems.
Michael experiences "being" a woman and sees how they often get treated in the business, but he doesn't start out as someone that is particularly sexist/ oblivious to the challenges others face. Michael falls in love but doesn't start out as some averse to love. What does Michael ever actually learn? How does he grow?
-Michael's Friend: Michael has a female friend who he's been close to for years, and one day they have sex. No promises are made about oh, I guess we're in a relationship now, but he treats her poorly. He doesn't see her when he says he will see her and he's not up front about how he doesn't truly love her, but another woman. This is a perfect reflection to the relationship between Julie, the woman he falls in love with, and Ron, the director of the show they're both on. Dorothy/Michael continually advises Julie to dump Ron, as he does not treat her as well as she deserves to be treated. This holds up a perfect mirror to Michael's own actions, providing an opportunity for a powerful character moment, but the movie never really acknowledges that what Michael is doing is wrong. They just kind of skip over it, seeming to be more focused on getting Michael and Julie to end up together. Feeling bad for the people you hurt doesn't equal growth.
Julie's Dad: Michael meets Julie's dad in a bar after Julie discovered his true identity and reacted poorly to it. He basically gives him his blessing in being with his daughter, and this makes no sense. Why? Julie's dad kinda fell in love with Dorothy. Julie' s dad, a man who has been with no other woman since his wife, begins to yearn for another "woman" one again for the first time. He even tries to marry "her". By this point in the movie, he has become privy to the fact that Dorothy is actually Michael, as he watched the unveiling on TV. He is clearly quite the traditionalist based on the things he says to Dorothy and the way he reacts when a man, Michael, tries to return a wedding ring to him in public. In reality, this man would be furious. To have been made a fool of and for Michael having been lying to him and especially his daughter. They slept in the same bed for the Flying Spaghetti Monster's sake! Michael watched Julie's child while she was gone! A man clearly being afraid as being seen as homosexual fell in love with a man! He would be furious, I repeat! But Michael has a rational conversation with the mildly upset dad, asks about his daughter, and manages to to escape with a begrudgingly forgiving punch on his shoulder, things presumably settled between them. Not at all believable. -Julie: To Julie, the (should have been) protagonist of the film, Dorothy is a person she admires, enjoys the company of, and looks up to as an empowering figure. Julie has issues with her belief in her own self-worth and Dorothy/Michael makes her feel more worthy. So much so that she has the confidence to leave Ron. If we focus on the one character who actually changes, this is a movie about Julie finding her identity. So at the end of the movie, when Michael approaches her to rekindle their relationship and clearly have in be romantic in nature this time, instead of Julie learning to be independent as she has been learning all along, and Michael seeing that he doesn't need to be with her in that sense or even really expect to after all that's happened. In the end to go strolling off into the sunset. What? Okay, okay. I obviously don't blame Michael for disguising himself as he did or falling in love with Julie, but in the end he lied to her, whether he meant to or not. In the end does it make sense for Julie, who has spent the movie building up a sense of self-worth, to fall in love with a man who has essentially been lying to her all along. Does it not make more sense for he to either completely turn him away, and Michael must learn to reconcile with this. Or perhaps even, she accepts him back into her life, but as a friend filling the roll emotional guide as Dorothy did, because after all didn't Michael tell Julie that Dorothy was still here? In a movie about identity, Julie is still the prize/ ultimate goal, when the culmination should have been both character realizing who they are.
-Kinda boring/ Not very funny
izmsyoko
I like this movie. The main character of this movie hits walls, but overcomes difficulties or obstacles in many ways I don't expect. It's really interesting. I'm excited when I am watching this movie. I especially like the last scene. There is the last scene I don't expect. In the last scene, the main character and a lady are talking. The conversation doesn't express directly, but we can understand the development in this movie. The conversation is interesting and beautiful. I like it.The setting in this movie seems strange, but it's interesting. In addition, I think this movie may express historical background such as gender discrimination and same sex marriage at that time. I admires the actor who performs the main character. He pretends to be woman and I can watch his performances without feeling uncomfortable.The point also makes this film better and attractive.
foodie03
This is one of the most brilliant American comedy ever. Through the film, it is a good-tempo to catch the story and full of wit. Dustin Hoffman stars as Michael Dorsey and disguises himself as a middle-aged woman. One of the remarkable points in the film is that Dustin Hoffman succeeds in playing the role of a woman. His performance is so brilliant and attractive that it seems like another actor stars as Dorothy Michaels. Dorothy is a strong-minded and brisk woman. The personality is characteristic and impressive with the audience. I think this original and eccentric personality was required for woman at this age. In this film, at first, he has a purpose to need a job, but in the end, he falls in love with Julie who struggles to handle both her career and raising her baby. I think Mike is fascinated with her hard attitude. I want to watch this film over and over again. No matter how many times, I wouldn't get bored.
Hitchcoc
Dustin Hoffmann, one of the most respected "serious" actors, takes on the role of a man who keeps his job by playing female character. This sounds like a throwaway role with people clicking their tongues and saying, he probably needed some money between gigs. Of course, if you've ever seen this, you know this is not true. The script is marvelous and Hoffmann steals every scene. It really takes off as he assumes his femininity and begins to see what it is to be a woman, the unfairness and roadblocks they must face. Jessica Lange is superb as well, as his confidante and love interest. There is nothing silly or absurd about this, once you accept the premise. Beautifully portrayed with a sad realism that works to this day.
