Lauren Mittleman
Staff Writer
Reversing the roles from the 19 year old movie “What Women Want,” the movie “What Men Want” focuses on a woman hearing men’s thoughts.
“What Men Want,” a 2019 movie directed by Adam Shankman, explores the bias against hard working women in the work field while incorporating various humorous scenes, but shows a questionable message that a woman can be her best self once she better understands what it is that men want.
Industrious sports agent Ali Davis, portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, is the only female agent in her office and is shot down for a very well deserved promotion at work, which is instead given to a less commendable white man. Davis then drinks a psychic’s concoction which gives her the supernatural ability to read the minds of men, knowing exactly what it is they want. Determined to get the promotion she so blatantly deserves, Davis uses these powers to her advantage, helping her to be the one to sign a soon to be basketball superstar, no matter what it takes or what she needs to sacrifice.
The movie does a great job portraying the realistic occurrences women all over the world can face daily at work. The details and feelings of exclusion, such as not being invited to a secret poker night with the rest of the agents, make it so that many women can relate to the main character.
Henson amazes and appeals to the audience with her sensational acting, compensating for some of the odd and frankly unnecessary plot points. Henson’s acting is so realistic that the audience feels they are right there with her.
A major drawback of “What Men Want” is the mature content. The rated R film is not appropriate for younger viewers, and even people in their early teens will not be to see the film without an adult present. The bad language is understandable and tolerable, but lots of nudity and sexual content that contributed to the R rating are not critical to the plot.
Touching scenes between Davis and her father when she needs someone to talk to add a heartwarming affect to the movie, showing character depth and the importance of having good relationships with family and loved ones.
An important quality of this film is how Jamal Berry, the basketball superstar all of the agents want to sign, still has his values. He decides to stay and play for his hometown’s NBA team rather than move to China to earn more money, even when pressured by his dad to do so. This shows the significance of not succumbing to peer pressure and doing what one wants to do.
Although a film focusing on the unfair biases against women in work fields was a good idea, the execution could have been far better. The plot seems pointless at times, and the idea of a psychic and being able to read minds makes the film unrealistic. The acting, relatable situations and touching father-daughter moments are some of the redeeming qualities of this movie that make the positive aspects outweigh the negative.
Released on February 8, “What Men Want” is rated R and is available in theaters nationwide.
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