In spite of the recent horrendous role reversal bad acts of Amber Heard, Christine Blasey Ford, and others of that ilk and temperament, lately, it seems that not a day goes by when yet another "upstanding" pillar of society is revealed to be basically, at the least, Creepy McCreepenstein, if not outright Rapey McRaperson. Still, even with the me too movement, there is often a veil of doubt that can be cast if the object of the unwanted attention, and/or the perpetrator of the vileness was under the influence of alcohol. Seemingly as an excuse for the bad behavior of the abuser(s), yet, at the same time a virtual scarlet letter for the victim if they "allowed" themselves to get in a vulnerable position.
Why is that?
Granted, while NO ONE should be victim shamed, exactly how much of the responsibility does a woman bear to keep herself safe? Jodie Foster posited that exact question almost 25 years ago in a movie called "The Accused", and Carrie Mulligan turns that concept on it's head in "A Promising Young Woman".
Let me first say that, over the years, working entertainment security, I PERSONALLY have intervened many times ,when, at the end of the night some "player" was nearly carrying an almost comatose woman out of the club to "see that she gets home safe", and yet, did not know her name, where she lived, or anything about her, other than she was scantily dressed, vulnerable, and apparently alone. I dread to think what could, would, and does happen to females in that situation, when no one is looking out for them. But those are stories for another time.
Here, Mulligans Cassandra isn't the PRIMARY victim, but, is a victim nonetheless, as the friend who wasn't there when she was needed the most, and is now trying to atone in the aftermath by forcing the "creepo's" to look their behavior squarely in the eye. It's cosplay taken to the extreme, yet, it is staggeringly effective, not just for those she confronts, but for the audience as well. What are WE willing to tolerate as far as bad behavior from our friends and colleagues? How often after the fact, have you seen celebrities saying "we all knew what was going on", but, yet, nothing was ever said until the news breaks and the accusations (and accusers) start piling up? (Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Epstein Island anyone?)
Cassandra has lost herself in a revenge fantasy played out in real life. She has given up on anything but "righting the wrong" done to her best friend. Yet, the movie takes a turn where it almost looks like she can let it go, as he friends Mother tells her, until one of her own victims reveals some devastating new information which throws he back into the darkness of her guilt. (could Madison have plotted the revenge of the revenged?)
Her ultimate final fantasy appears to have gone pear shaped, or, DID it? I kept hoping for the best until her outcome was clear, yet, in the end, perhaps she did indeed get the ultimate vengeance.
I'll let Dua Lipa close this out, as, she sums my thoughts up well:
Review by Paladin5150BlockedParent2021-04-13T12:41:26Z
In spite of the recent horrendous role reversal bad acts of Amber Heard, Christine Blasey Ford, and others of that ilk and temperament, lately, it seems that not a day goes by when yet another "upstanding" pillar of society is revealed to be basically, at the least, Creepy McCreepenstein, if not outright Rapey McRaperson. Still, even with the me too movement, there is often a veil of doubt that can be cast if the object of the unwanted attention, and/or the perpetrator of the vileness was under the influence of alcohol. Seemingly as an excuse for the bad behavior of the abuser(s), yet, at the same time a virtual scarlet letter for the victim if they "allowed" themselves to get in a vulnerable position.
Why is that?
Granted, while NO ONE should be victim shamed, exactly how much of the responsibility does a woman bear to keep herself safe? Jodie Foster posited that exact question almost 25 years ago in a movie called "The Accused", and Carrie Mulligan turns that concept on it's head in "A Promising Young Woman".
Let me first say that, over the years, working entertainment security, I PERSONALLY have intervened many times ,when, at the end of the night some "player" was nearly carrying an almost comatose woman out of the club to "see that she gets home safe", and yet, did not know her name, where she lived, or anything about her, other than she was scantily dressed, vulnerable, and apparently alone. I dread to think what could, would, and does happen to females in that situation, when no one is looking out for them. But those are stories for another time.
Here, Mulligans Cassandra isn't the PRIMARY victim, but, is a victim nonetheless, as the friend who wasn't there when she was needed the most, and is now trying to atone in the aftermath by forcing the "creepo's" to look their behavior squarely in the eye. It's cosplay taken to the extreme, yet, it is staggeringly effective, not just for those she confronts, but for the audience as well. What are WE willing to tolerate as far as bad behavior from our friends and colleagues? How often after the fact, have you seen celebrities saying "we all knew what was going on", but, yet, nothing was ever said until the news breaks and the accusations (and accusers) start piling up? (Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Epstein Island anyone?)
Cassandra has lost herself in a revenge fantasy played out in real life. She has given up on anything but "righting the wrong" done to her best friend. Yet, the movie takes a turn where it almost looks like she can let it go, as he friends Mother tells her, until one of her own victims reveals some devastating new information which throws he back into the darkness of her guilt. (could Madison have plotted the revenge of the revenged?)
Her ultimate final fantasy appears to have gone pear shaped, or, DID it? I kept hoping for the best until her outcome was clear, yet, in the end, perhaps she did indeed get the ultimate vengeance.
I'll let Dua Lipa close this out, as, she sums my thoughts up well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEPtAPbLjm0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj9Tw8iGy1U