Stranger Than Fiction
This film is a creative, original, gem. It’s nature is reminiscent of Princess Bride and High Fidelity and is loved by the masses for that reason. Though, I am distracted from justly reviewing the film because of its ulterior effect on me. While utterly lovable, perfect, and confident, it is just that that makes the one-dimensionality of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character feel like an assault on women. Rather than the typical unachievable desirability through the perfect body that we see in Hollywood’s female stars, degradation and oppression of women instead wears the mask of confidence. I say mask because such degradation could be glossed over by the argument that the character is portrayed as an eccentric, deviant, less than perfect woman who is loved because of these qualities. Yet, she also brandishes the asset of unachievable confidence as the ultimate attractive quality. Unwavering confidence is just as impossible to achieve as a flawless figure and as we see one replace the other the just portrayal of women by the media gains no ground.
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