If you like indie counterculture flicks, this might be right up your alley. It is the story of Valerie Solanas, a radical feminist lesbian in the 60's who writes her revolutionary manifesto that attempts to rid the world of the male species. For someone who is supposedly very intelligent and who studied psychology, she is obviously unable to see this as being completely insane, not to mention impossible. Her hatred for men is text book, sexually abused as a child, forced into prostitution to support herself, that would lead any woman to lesbianism.
So, here we have this man hating butch dike played to perfection by Lily Taylor, although since I have never seen Solanas (and I'm sure either had Taylor) I'm not sure if it was true to her, or just Taylor's own wild imaginings of what this woman must have been like. It's similar to Johnny Depp as Hunter S. Thompson, a great performance, but actually quite off the mark as an impersonation of Thompson. But since nobody knows anything about Solanas, Taylor is free to run wild, and run wild she does, as most of commented, completely carrying this film with her intensity and ferocity. If it wasn't for her, this movie would have been a complete bore, since whenever she is not in a scene, I nearly fell asleep, Harron has all these really slow panning shots in red filter that don't show anything of interest. I was kind of intrigued by Solanas philosophy, as bizarre as it was. Much of it was true, sex can be a very solitary experience, especially the kind of sex Solanas has had (rape and prostitution). Men can be governed by their insecurities based on sexual performance and desires (see most political/religious leaders). However what of the female insecurities and desires? THere are plenty and they are just as ugly as the male's. I often wonder if the world would be better off if women ruled it, because I have my own views on what is really driving our consumption based society which is killing the planet. It's the woman as much as the man, perhaps even more so. Women have an insatiable need to consume, hence turning shopping into a hobby, which no man has ever done.
Anyway, check this movie out simply for Taylor, she is brilliant and unrestrainted and her tough talking New York chick impersonation will mezmerize you.
So, here we have this man hating butch dike played to perfection by Lily Taylor, although since I have never seen Solanas (and I'm sure either had Taylor) I'm not sure if it was true to her, or just Taylor's own wild imaginings of what this woman must have been like. It's similar to Johnny Depp as Hunter S. Thompson, a great performance, but actually quite off the mark as an impersonation of Thompson. But since nobody knows anything about Solanas, Taylor is free to run wild, and run wild she does, as most of commented, completely carrying this film with her intensity and ferocity. If it wasn't for her, this movie would have been a complete bore, since whenever she is not in a scene, I nearly fell asleep, Harron has all these really slow panning shots in red filter that don't show anything of interest. I was kind of intrigued by Solanas philosophy, as bizarre as it was. Much of it was true, sex can be a very solitary experience, especially the kind of sex Solanas has had (rape and prostitution). Men can be governed by their insecurities based on sexual performance and desires (see most political/religious leaders). However what of the female insecurities and desires? THere are plenty and they are just as ugly as the male's. I often wonder if the world would be better off if women ruled it, because I have my own views on what is really driving our consumption based society which is killing the planet. It's the woman as much as the man, perhaps even more so. Women have an insatiable need to consume, hence turning shopping into a hobby, which no man has ever done.
Anyway, check this movie out simply for Taylor, she is brilliant and unrestrainted and her tough talking New York chick impersonation will mezmerize you.