Women's Studies

Directed by Lonnie Martin
Ningen Manga Productions

"Feminism is not a dirty word."

True, but that may depend on who you're asking. In his latest film, writer/director Lonnie Martin examines the sometimes fine line between liberal and radical feminism and asks the age old question: When two groups of people are similar in their values, why is it common for one group to work towards positive change and another to spiral into terrorism?

On the surface, the answer is simple. People tend to be products of their environment, after all. Cindy Marie Martin's character Mary, the protagonist and liberal feminist of the film, has a solid education, a promising future in politics, and a loving relationship with her boyfriend Zack (James A. Radack), while the "radical" feminists of the Ross-Prentiss Academy appear to have all suffered at the hands of men. When you compare the drastically different experiences of these women, it becomes easier to understand why some people are drawn towards good and others are drawn towards evil. But we can't cast all women in the same light. Environment doesn't always dictate one's path and, as best summed up by Jerry Stiller's character in the 2007 film The Heartbreak Kid: "Some bitches be crazy." True enough.

Women's Studies is, in fact, full of crazy bitches – from the sex- and blood-crazed strippers in the film's opening, to the goddess/witch-like women of the forest. The film is a constant battle between good and evil, and as it progresses it becomes difficult to tell the two apart. At times, the acting appears to be stiff and the viewer may become bogged down with the film's feminist cliché quotes ("girls who go against the grain don't last long here"), and women-centered themes like pregnancy, Freudian vagina talk, and equality in the workplace, which seem to be shoved into the dialogue at times.

Women's Studies is a horror flick, but in a few instances it borders on camp - a nighttime exchange between Zack and Diane (Kelly Slagle) is reminiscent of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the fight scene between Mary and Judith (Tara Garwood) appears to be more amusing than dramatic. A serious discussion about promiscuity ("Men can fuck whoever they want… but when a woman does it, she's called a whore.") appears to only scratch the surface, opting to simply regurgitate this all-too-familiar paradigm without offering any new insight or depth.

That being said, Women's Studies is not without its gems. Judith O'Dea shines as Senator Gayle Hamlin, and Melisa Brenier-Sanders is phenomenal in her portrayal of Beth. Slagle is brilliantly cast for the role of Diane, adding intrigue and edge to the film. Technically, Women's Studies has its strong points; there is interesting use of windows and mirrors, great back and forth montages, and excellent use of music to forward the story. On the whole, this film is a one-of-a-kind story that explores an old question in a new and interesting way and, stiffness aside, the cast is promising and talented.

Indie film enthusiasts will enjoy Women's Studies. It's bloody, it's sexy, and it is, on the whole, an entertaining flick.

Review by Cheryl Santa Maria