"Ladies First": In this film, women rule the world, and men learn to be seductive to make a career

Scene from the film. Photo: imdb.com

What happens if men and women swap places not just in daily life, but at the very foundation of society? This is the question on which the new Netflix film "Ladies First" is built, which became the subject of a review by film critic John Anderson on the pages of The Wall Street Journal.

The plot revolves around Damien Sachs — a typical "alpha male" and an employee of the "Atlas" advertising agency. In his world, the concept of "correctness" does not exist: men behave like boors and sexists, women are perceived as decorations, and the women's rights movement #MeToo went astray. True, the position of creative director is held by a woman — Alex. However, this is done solely to appease the largest client — the Guinness beer brand.

However, fate prepares a harsh lesson for Damien. After hitting his head, he wakes up in a world where gender roles are completely inverted. Now women run corporations, and men are forced to focus on their appearance to please their bosses.

John Anderson notes: the film's creators fully utilized sharp satire to depict the new world the hero entered. Here, women didn't just seize power — the very nature of the sexes changed. Former secretary Felicity took over as CEO of "Atlas," and Alex became the direct head of the agency and Damien himself. Now it's his turn to adapt: the hero is required to dress provocatively to have any chance of promotion.

In this reality, there are shops selling supportive underwear for male genitalia, and beauty salons actively offer male clients fillers and "full Australian" waxing. At work, Damien is reproached for "testosteronity" (an ironic neologism from the word "testosterone," by analogy with "hysteria"). And in his apartment, instead of familiar things, there are magazines about home comfort and a refrigerator full of fruit, yogurt, and kefir.

The critic notes that these scenes will evoke different reactions: men may feel discomfort, while women will most likely laugh out loud.

According to Anderson, the film's structure resembles a cocktail of such films as "It's a Wonderful Life," "What Women Want," and "A Christmas Carol." There's even a mystical mentor — a homeless man who explains to Damien: to return home, he must succeed in this female world. And Damien could think of nothing better than to try to make his way to the top through the bedroom, using the same methods that women previously used in his own world.

Павялічыць

Scene from the film. Photo: imdb.com

Does the film make any profound revelations? John Anderson believes not. The plot progresses predictably, and the ending can be guessed in advance. Nevertheless, he positively evaluates the acting.

Ultimately, "Ladies First" is a light, not overly original, but quite apt comedy about what the world looks like when the usual rules between men and women operate in reverse.

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