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What Women Want

Name: What Women Want
Director: Daming Chen
Released: 2011
Duration: 116 min

Representation Score

5.5/10

Fair

2011

Not Rated

Director

Daming Chen

Runtime

116 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

What Women Want uses a high-concept fantasy idea to break down traditional gender power dynamics. By giving a chauvinistic protagonist access to women's private thoughts, the film forces him to confront his worldview through empathy. While the film successfully challenges patriarchal structures and male authority, it lacks clarity regarding other underrepresented identities. The focus remains heavily centered on the binary tension between the male lead and female characters. Ultimately, the film serves as a tool for moral growth, using a supernatural shift to reveal hidden perspectives and deconstruct the protagonist's social ego.

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Category Breakdown

Does What Women Want have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include any non-straight relationships or queer storylines. It focuses on the communication gap between genders.

How does What Women Want portray gender?

Good

The movie challenges traditional male hierarchies by taking away a chauvinistic executive's power. This allows female intelligence and influence to challenge the protagonist's initial social status.

How racially and ethnically diverse is What Women Want?

Minimal

There is insufficient information regarding the ethnic composition of the cast or the specific cultural setting of the film.

How does What Women Want represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story criticizes traditional social norms by showing chauvinism as a flaw needing correction. This suggests a move towards more nuanced ethical views.

Does What Women Want include disability representation?

Fair

A physical accident triggers the protagonist's supernatural sensory change. It is unclear if this event gives the character real power or just serves as a plot device.

Present on Screen

The narrative effectively dismantles conventional male authority and patriarchal structures.
The plot uses fantasy to foster empathy and uncover hidden female perspectives.
The film critiques traditional social norms through the protagonist's moral development.

Limited or Absent

The story lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or queer narratives.
The film's ethnic and racial makeup remains unverified and unclear.
The use of a medical accident as a plot device lacks clear empowerment for the protagonist.

Official Synopsis

After an accident, a chauvinistic executive gains the ability to hear what women are really thinking.

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