Wednesday, May 23, 2012

HYSTERIA


HYSTERIA
Written by Stepher Dyer, Jonah Lisa Dyer
Directed by Tanya Wexler
Starring Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Rupert Everett

In Victorian London, the word, “hysteria”, was a medical term used to define the general restlessness and anxiety of the city’s housewives and the occasional tirade that stemmed from said affliction. Of course, we now know this as mere boredom but at the time, the menfolk didn’t know what to do with all these hysterical women. The deeper implications of how the word fully strips women of any power or stature they might have are merely touched on in Tanya Wexler’s HYSTERIA. Instead, the focus lies more with what was invented to deal with the issue, the vibrator. But while you might expect this topic would set the film abuzz with excitement, it doesn’t. Instead, the batteries die out before you get to the good part.



3 comments:

Candice Frederick said...

yes, i found this to be quite terrible.

Black Sheep said...

I know people who have enjoyed it but I just found it too light to care about, which angered me because there was clearly stuff worth caring about here.

Paolo said...

You're right in a way on how this movie can't sustain it's own energy. If I wanted to listen to ninety or so minutes of vagina jokes, I'd just go listen to myself.