Day 7 @ MSPIFF 2015: 'The Mask You Live In' Reviewed
Why is it that nearly all of America's mass murders are men, when women have just as easy access to firearms? Why are boys more likely to have learning issues? To drop out of school? To commit suicide? Those are just a few of the questions posed by The Mask You Live In, the latest documentary on gender in America by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, whose last film, Miss Representation, explored how women are under-represented in positions of power.
With an army of psychiatrists, medical professionals and academics, Siebel Newsom makes the case that what our culture teaches young boys about masculinity severely limits their development and encourages them to be emotionally blank, obsessed with power and prone to violence. Former NFL linebacker Joe Ehrmann tells the camera early on that one of the most damaging things you can tell a boy is to "be a man." Sports and often coaches, he continues, don't build character in young boys. Instead, the "secular religion" in this country is focused solely on producing hyper-masculine athletic machines: boys who'll do pretty much anything to show they aren't "wimps," "p***ies" or "f****ts." And what doth such teaching bring? Homophobia, sexism and a tendency to solve problems with violence. Cue the footage of Ray Rice knocking out his girlfriend.
Such simplistic connections are scattered throughout the movie, and they sometimes distract from the valid questions raised by some seriously startling (if somewhat questionable) statistics. Yet, if one can stomach one or five glib talking heads, there are several moving moments in the film where boys and men give testimony to their need to have intimate friendships, to love openly and be loved openly, and to ask for help. While Siebel Newsom might point too many fingers here to make a solid case, the filmmaker is definitely going to get people talking, and that's a victory in itself.
The Mask You Live In is playing at 7:00 p.m.
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Other Highlights For Wednesday, April 15
Clouds of Sils Maria (Olivier Assayas, France) American actress Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame holds her own opposite French cinematic legend Juliette Binoche in a movie that brings to mind Bergman's Persona. (7:10)
Best of Enemies (Morgan Neville, USA) Watching conservative pundit William F. Buckley and liberal bulldog Gore Vidal hash it out in 1968 TV segments is surprisingly entertaining. Also, it makes you wonder about the possibilities of political discourse in America. (7:15)
Los Hongos (Oscar Ruiz Navia, Colombia) Teen spirit, defiance and creativity mesh together in this film about Cali's graffiti culture. Influenced by the slogans from the Arab Spring, two young friends seek to never be silenced. (9:55)
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For the festival schedule, and a complete listing of all the movies being shown, click here. Ticket information is available here.
Throughout the entirety of the 2015 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, WCCO.com will be spotlighting one notable movie each day, along with other notable screenings. To see WCCO.com's complete coverage on the MSPIFF, click here.
