Tag Archives: Mad Max: Fury Road

Has It Really Been A Great Year for Female Film Characters?

Although we’ve seen many male-led movies such as The Martian, The Revenant and The Big Short garner a lot of attention, many critics say the past year was good for fans of films with female characters too.

They point to films like Carol, Room and Mad Max: Fury Road as prime examples of films where the women were the stars of the show, and of media where leading ladies kicked ass first, taking names later in their own way.

Some critics argue that it hasn’t just been a great year for female characters, numbers wise, but in how they were presented as well.

The characters in these films, including Inside Out and Grandma, don’t necessarily fit into the typical ‘strong female character’ mould either, as they’re flawed and messy and imperfect in the same way that actual, real-life women are.

grandma 01

But does that mean that we’re in a new era of movie-making, where women get to take the lead in more pictures, and are written in ways that won’t make us want to throw the nearest piece of pottery?

Not necessarily.

We may have made some real strides in terms of both numbers and the actual depictions of these female characters, but the work is far from over.

For example, although we are quick to praise the diversity of movies like Grandma, Freeheld and Carol for starring lesbian characters, it‘s also important to consider that these three movies, like many of the others being praised for positive representation of women, star white women. (All three films were also massively snubbed at the Oscars, with misogyny being blamed).

Freeheld-08

Also important to note is how the 2016 Oscars featured no nominees of colour in any of its acting categories, sparking a revival of the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag.

While this is incredibly frustrating, it’s both an ugly symptom of the Academy’s massively lopsided voting pool and of Hollywood itself and it was massively disappointing to see films like Tangerine (a movie about two trans women of colour) get shut out.

Tangerine 02

It’s also worth noting that one film that has been praised for its black female ‘heroine’ character, Chi-Raq, has also been criticised for its own misogyny, as it involves ending gun violence via the means of women withholding sex.

Straight Outta Compton, another movie starring people of colour that many felt should have been nominated by the Academy, also overlooked the violent acts committed by Dr. Dre against women.

Whether we will see the trend of female-led films (hopefully with more diversity) continue into 2016 and beyond is unclear.

Although Hollywood blockbusters make far more at the box office when starring female characters, who’s to say that Hollywood will pay attention when it’s been ignoring that factoid for years?

Additionally, with so few female film-makers holding Hollywood’s top jobs, decisions of these female-focused films are largely in the hands of men.


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Gender Swap: Charlize Theron Looks To Replaces Brad Pitt in New Hollywood Action Thriller

Charlize Theron drew lots of praise and cemented her as a certifiable badass playing Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road.

Charlize Theron's Character in 'Mad Max'

Now, it looks like her enviable butt-kicking skills are inspiring a gender swap in the upcoming thriller, The Gray Man.

The actress is reportedly in talks to join the cast of the action flick, in a lead role that was previously attached to Brad Pitt.

According to Deadline, Theron is in early talks to star in the film based on Mark Greaney’s novel of the same name.

The screen adaptation has been stuck in development for some time. In 2011, Pitt was reportedly interested in taking on the lead role, with James Gray (The Immigrant) attached as a director. After that fell through, the project was temporarily put on the back burner.

Now, it seems that Sony wants to redevelop the concept with Theron in the central role

The Gray Man centres on an expert CIA op-turned-assassin who is forced to evade adversaries as he saves the lives of daughters he didn’t know he had.

While swapping the gender of a lead role in order to accommodate the actor doesn’t happen very often, it isn’t unheard of. Just look back on some classic examples: Sigourney Weaver’s iconic role as hero Ripley in Alien was originally conceived for a man, and spy thriller, Salt, was re-tailored Angelina Jolie Pitt after Tom Cruise bowed out of the lead role.

Then there is Paul Feig’s all-female Ghostbusters, the rumoured Expendabelles film, and the Road House reboot set to star Ronda Rousey in a role originated by Patrick Swayze.

Sandra Bullock also recently nabbed a role originally written for a man in this month’s Our Brand Is Crisis.

Given the year Theron has had, it’s no surprise that Sony would want to get her on board. The actress has proven herself more than capable of leading a fast-paced blockbuster and Sony would be smart to strategize the movie premise around her. But regardless of whether she takes on this particular movie on or not, one thing’s for sure: Theron’s winning streak as an action star is just beginning.

Fans Hail Charlize Theron’s Character in ‘Mad Max’ as a Feminist Powerhouse

Have you seen the trailer for Charlize Theron new kick ass action film Mad Max: Fury Road?

In the new movie the South African-born actress plays the role of amputee warrior Furiosa alongside Tom Hardy’s Mad Max. Her character is very much the dominant between the two,  and “emotionally drives” the story forward.

During an interview at the  on Thursday, Theron was asked if “Max Max” is a “sort of feminist film.”

You know what I think is even more powerful about it? [It’s] that I think George didn’t have a feminist agenda up his sleeve, and I think that’s what makes the story even more powerful, especially how the women are represented in it.

It’s just very truthful, and I really applaud him for that. I think when we use the word ‘feminism’ people get a little freaked out, it’s like we’re somehow, like, being put on a pedestal or anything like that. George has this innate understanding that women are just as complex and interesting as men, and he was really interested in discovering all of that. I think through just his need and want for the truth he actually made an incredible feminist movie.”

Theron has also been praised by the films director George Miller for breaking out of the Hollywood gender stereotype mould and showing “the truth of who we are as women”.

Charlize Theron's Character in 'Mad Max'

She recently discussed why it’s important for young girls to know what feminism really means in an interview with Elle UK.

This is a good time for us to bring this to a place of fairness, and girls need to know that being a feminist is a good thing. It doesn’t mean that you hate men. It means equal rights. If you’re doing the same job, you should be compensated and treated in the same way.”