No Men Beyond This Point

I wanted to watch this movie just to see what their overall take on an all female world would be from a completely science fiction standpoint. Also because I wanted to see how outlandishly wrong they would be. I must say that it was humorous in some places and did take an interesting spin on things but ultimately I think the movie was designed, and flavored, to be funny to feminists, liberal/progressive types, or those men who believe everything feminists say about men.

It had some funny moments that I chuckled at but constant pushing of men being stubborn, stupid, lazy, and overall incapable of doing anything that a woman could do better got old. The only "digs" at women were that they weren't very concerned with technological innovation...as a trade off, women achieved world peace and electric cars(?). You can mix in a few other themes such as obvious references to gay marriage and such as well, but primarily, this movie was meant to entertain feminists.

After seeing the movie "A Boy and His Dog", I noticed a new genre of movies I call one liners. It is where the entire movie is just a setup for the last line said in it. This movie falls in that genre, and the line is very funny, so I give it an extra star over the one star it tries so hard to obtain.

This movie is simply a slam on men. It leaves you wondering how hard the women who made it were dumped to have this level of vitriol in their male stereotypes. That being said, I recommend men watch this movie with their significant others to see their reactions. First off, you will seem a great catch in comparison to the angry sexist characters in the story. But, more importantly, you can see if your potential mate really enjoys the movie and can take it as an indication to run away. Fast.

It is fascinating to me how such a simple film became so controversial. It took a pretty basic concept (some would say a rip-off of Children of Men) and blasted onto the scene as a simple yet intriguing mockumentary on gender relations.

If this had come out ten or fifteen years ago, there wouldn't have been anywhere near the controversy. But, maybe that's what the film was going for. It meant to stir up discussion. If that was it was going for, I imagine the film was trying to say that both men and women are important in society.

But, what's great in this film is that is has so many layers. Could it be a parable for homosexuals? Is it a cautionary tale? Is it meant to put men down? Or perhaps it's meant to proliferate gender stereotypes? Maybe it's just a simple comedy? If any one of these were true, this film might not be so special, but seeing as all these elements combine, this film is very profound.

Men are obsolete. In the 1950s women start to get pregnant on their own, and give birth only to girls. The world doesn't need men anymore. This isn't the only bad news for males. An uptight, extreme and conservative female coalition is in power, and payback is harsh. The few remaining men are locked up in "sanctuaries" and darted with tranquilizers if they dare to leave. Their food is laced with estrogen to keep them docile. Menstral cycles are synchronized and the world becomes one big sorority house. At 37 years old Andrew is the youngest man in the world. He is a fluke and anomaly, born when women are giving birth solely to girls. He has a permit to leave the sanctuary and live as a domestic worker with the family of Terra and Iris. When Iris starts a relationship with Andrew, the two create a media firestorm. As with Alice in Wonderland, Gulliver's Travels and other satires, this alternative history and mockumentary helps us step outside of ourselves and see the world from a different perspective.

It is enlightening as well as hilarious, and slightly scary and unsettling, to imagine this role reversal. Who would have thought a professor of men's history would ever be needed?! While the film is limited in terms of depth, funding and acting, I thoroughly enjoyed the out-of-the-box thinking and puns about human nature. It is good that this is just a fantasy (and yet I know a few women who would like this world to happen, at least for men who don't instantly agree with them). Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival 2015.

Decided to write this review because of another review where the reviewer obviously did not understand the concept of a mockumentary. This is the Turkey, the dressing, gravy and mash potatoes! The complete saga of another reality where men become obsolete; that's the mcguffin. The real story is what the women of the world make of that, and the men too. Told in the manner of documentaries that go back and forth, present day and past, as the info is needed, the story does build and the ending isn't predictable. The acting is great - everyone - which means the writer/director did a great job. There are so many scenes so well done it was an absolute pleasure to watch and laugh along with everyone else in the audience when we recognized ourselves and the things we do. But we also recognize the foibles of our generation, the previous ones, and many of the decisions made for stupid reasons. How women were/are treated, aboriginals, bears wandering into cities and, of course, Australians.