“What Men Want” is Hilarious and Woke
Adam Shankman’s “What Men Want,” starring Taraji P. Henson and Tracy Morgan, is a surprisingly conscientious film.
It’s also hilarious.
Those who have only seen Henson play serious roles, and love her as an actress, will enjoy her work in this film. She’s able to take on a much more lighthearted tone, and stays relaxed in front of and behind the camera.
After the credit role, there’s a behind the scenes clip of Henson having fun on set and connecting with her coworkers. A bug flies close to her face and she panics, fanning it away, spitting and running around in circles as her team chuckles. It was nice to see the actors and producers enjoying themselves.
Their enthusiasm shines through in the film, as actors and non-actors alike play their parts rather well. The audience was thoroughly entertained for the duration of the movie, and burst out laughing on a number of occasions.
Ali Davis (Henson) works as a sports agent at a sporting agency in Atlanta, Georgia. She expects to be promoted to partner, but is out-voted by a male coworker. She’s one of two or three women in the room of agents.
The film offers commentary on sexism in the workplace, especially in a workplace traditionally thought to be exclusively masculine.
At one point, Davis’ boss, Nick Ivers (Brian Bosworth), says that she must “stay in [her] lane,” because she’s great at signing and relating to the women in the sporting world, but not good with the men. The sexism in the film isn’t subtle by any means, and Davis overcompensates for it by exaggerating her character’s behavior, emphasizing her frustration with her plight.
Davis is angry and bitter for the first half of the movie and lets everyone know that she can be just as tough as any man. She gets the numbers for the agency and works harder than anyone else, and yet doesn’t make partner because her white, male coworker signs one good player.
She wants to control everything, even her one night stand with Will (Aldis Hodge), and loathes when others point out her mistakes.
When she gains the ability to hear men’s thoughts, she learns how to listen and not just hear them. The movie sheds some light on communication in relationships. Women often complain that men don’t listen, but do women really listen to men?
The lessons the film teaches us are worth considering. Though some may argue that the film is just another Tyler Perry-esque cliche, we would do well to understand that society still exhibits characteristics of sexism in the workplace. “What Men Want” demonstrates that even laugh-out-loud romantic comedies can call our attention to that effectively, which is no easy feat.
