THE FIGHTER (2010)
A father and sons are browbeaten and physically abused by a controlling matriarch. An especially painful scene midway through the film where the boxer's father is pelted with a frying pan.
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011)
The film is a light comedy, and an unlikely choice for this list. But the arguments between Owen Wilson and wife Rachel McAdams are incredibly compelling. Her constant criticism is what we hear about in lots of our true stories. She tries hard to suppress her husband and fit him into a position he doesn't belong in. His dreamlike journeys through Paris nightlife are a great metaphor. How many men long for escape, and what do their dreams look like?
SECRETS AND LIES (1996)
A beautiful and startling film about unconventional families. Timothy Spall portrays a patient man juggling the needs of his sister amidst his wife's unhappiness.
WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN (1994)
Most guys wouldn't be caught dead watching this film, but it deals with the subject very directly. A man and woman and child are torn apart by addiction. It's a fairly shocking film, and very powerful. What appears to be a chick-flick is actually a very strong film that you wouldn't actually want to watch with your wife or girlfriend.
BLUE VALENTINE (2010)
A mesmerizing portrayal of a couple's rise and fall. Ryan Gosling's final speech will really nail it on the head for a lot of guys.
Looking to add to this list. Please leave your suggestions.
ReplyDeleteDon't think this is what you're looking for, but I'll mention it anyways. 40 Days and 40 Nights turns the rape of a man into a punchline, and then further drives home the misandry by treating him as a pariah, a cheater. AKA, he gets raped by his ex (she has sex while he's sleeping and tied to a bed) and his girlfriend treats him like a cheater and makes him apologize.
ReplyDelete