By Courtney Vasquez
Staff Writer
What do men want? This is a question Taraji P. Henson answers as the star of her new movie, “What Men Want.”
The rom-com directed by Adam Shankman came out Feb. 8, and is a hilarious new take on the 2000 film “What Women Want.”
In “What Men Want”, Henson plays sports agent Ali Davis, who is told she has trouble connecting with men. Even though she is one of the best agents, a male sports agent gets the promotion she wants.
After this unfortunate event, Henson’s character gains the power to hear men’s thoughts. The power gives her an advantage and improves her work and dating life.
While the movie uses this as an opportunity for comedy, it also implements it as a way to address universal problems that affect the characters themselves.
The movie does a great job of highlighting various social issues that plague women and people of color in today’s society.
Alienation in a male-dominated work environment and discrimination based on gender and race are all subtly depicted in the film through various
character interactions.
While it is a comedy, “What Men Want” still addresses the problems women face in the workplace.
The 2000 version, “What Women Want,” was directed by Nancy Meyers and stars Mel Gibson
Parallel to Henson’s new film, the original version is about a man developing the power to hear women’s thoughts.
Before having this power, Gibson’s character, Nick, is misogynistic and disconnected from women. He talks about there being too much estrogen in the world, and often judges women for their bodies.
After Nick spends time listening and paying attention to women’s inner-thoughts, he becomes more respectful of what women go through on a daily basis.
Both movies touch on the various real-world problems of misunderstanding and giving equal opportunities to women.
While “What Men Want” is a lighthearted film, it discusses serious problems that are still relevant today.
Even though these films are 19 years apart, they both share a common theme revolving around these social issues.
In terms of cinematography, each film has different, but great, ways of capturing the story on the big screen.
In the original version, there are a lot of close-up shots. This is probably used to provide the audience with the vulnerability women often feel. This is also used on Gibson’s character, since he becomes more vulnerable and understanding throughout the film.
In “What Men Want,” there are also plenty of close-up shots on Henson, since her character, Ali, felt like she was going insane.
Ali hits her head the night before she can hear the men’s voices, and in this scene the camera uses various angles to emphasize her losing her sanity.
Toward the end of each movie, both Ali and Nick learn different lessons about the opposite gender. Nick comes to understand there is more to the mind of a woman, not just materialistic things.
In the new film, Ali is all about female power. She learns not all men are against her at the agency, and comes to respect men more too.
Overall, these two films have great stories and are both true to the concepts of respect and equal opportunities for women in a male-dominated world.
