M.F.A.

This movie follows one main character, Noelle. She is an art major that is struggling to evolve. She decided to go to a party to meet up with a guy from class that she finds attractive and ends up getting raped. Her claims summarily dismissed, she goes to confront her rapist and ends up killing him by accident. This sends her down a path where she exacts revenge on rapists for other women, though they do not know she is doing it.

This is another take of the revenge movie, less rough than the I Spit On Your Grave movies. Francesca Eastwood does a phenomenal job in this movie as does the supporting cast. She just outshines them by a lot.

There is some nudity from both genders here and a lot of talk and imagery of rape. If that sort of thing does not bother you, then gives this a view.

Francesca Eastwood, is great and a fresh actress, who really knows how to electrify her performances. She reminds me a lot of Asia Argento (another famous actor, director father), in the sort of roles she's choosing and how she comes across on screen. She's very talented and certainly has a screen presence. The rape revenge plot has been done over and over but this movie has a lot of social comment to digest; although it tends to be a bit heavy handed at times. The ending is quite a satisfactory and moving conclusion.

Noelle (Francesca Eastwood) is studying painting at a Californian college for her MFA. She is invited to a party by hunky classmate Luke. They make out but the sex turns rough. She tries to stop but is overpowered by him. Her neighbor Skye counsels letting it go as she had done with her own rape. Noelle decides to report to the school therapist but her questioning is accusatory. She joins a help group but the girls are ineffectual. She confronts Luke and accidentally kills him. She decides to turn into a vigilante. Police detective Kennedy (Clifton Collins Jr.) investigates.

Clint's daughter Francesca Eastwood is an interesting new actress. She hasn't broken through yet but she has the charisma to get noticed. She has a nice dark side and does damaged well. The writing is a little pedestrian but it generally works. More needs to be given to Clifton Collins Jr. His is the key for tension and drama but he isn't given the needed material. Generally, this is fine but it doesn't really push the envelope.

Maybe if the movie was released during the #metoo movement, it might have done really well at the box office. It does have Clint Eastwoods daughter in the main role and of course it does have the topic of sexual abuse. There is some reality behind it all which may make some people uncomfortable. 1) because of the subject matter and 2) because of how it handles the topic after it (where it descends into the fantastic and unbelievable).

While I don't agree with everything the movie is portraying, the movie itself says that our main protagonist isn't always on the right side (of her mind) either. So if you try to nitpick, there is a lot you can find here. But if you accept this as a thriller and a bit of social message in between, you should be ok. Sit back, relax and do try to take the positive the movie is trying to tell/sell

I see there are a lot of mixed feelings about M.F.A. It will for sure not win any awards but it's still good enough to entertain you on a cold winter night. The story might not be overly developped but it's easy to understand and to watch. Not really a revenge movie, more a vigilante movie of a rape victim taking justice in her own hands. Francesca Eastwood did a good job playing her character. The rest of the cast wasn't bad either, nothing great, but not bad either. I would have made the killing scenes a bit bloodier and more sadistic to make it a better horror movie. I think that would have been better for the movie and this genre of movie. All in all it's an okay movie if you don't have too much expectations.