Menmakes its metaphorical intentions clear right from the title.Alex Garlandincludes plenty of symbolic flourishes.
There are lingering shots of an apple tree and pagan fertility carvings, tosay nothing of the ending.
The crux of the film, though, is in that one small word:Men.
Jessie Buckley gives a grounded, compelling performance, and in her capable hands Harper makes perfect sense.
Its not until the viewer leaves the theater that Harper, andMenin general, starts to fall apart.
Shes likely from Ireland, since Buckley uses her natural accent while playing her.
Image via A24
She plays the piano reasonably well.
That might sound like enough detail to work off of, but it really isnt.
How did she meet Riley?
Image via A24
For that matter, how did she meet James?
How did someone as sensible and confident as Harper end up in a relationship with someone so violently paranoid?
How did she end upmarryinghim?
Image via A24
IfMenknows what Harpers life was like before James death, it doesnt care.
What itdoescare about is her trauma.
It cares that shes stalked and terrorized by a naked, malevolent nature spirit.
In short, it cares less about her character and more about the terrible things that happen to her.
What on Earth does that say about how this movie views women?
That sort of thinking does nothing but discourage empathy and stifle creativity.
However, empathy can only go so far, andMendemonstrates the pitfalls of good intentions.
There is one lovely scene where that changes.
Buckley plays it beautifully, suggesting a sudden, dawning epiphany that the audience isnt privy to.
