Michelle Rodriguez to Star in Gender-Reassignment Revenge Thriller

[hazydawn]

So what you're saying is...you don't care about representation, you care about marketing and appearances...even if I understand the "Steve" annnoyance and share it to a degree, pretty much every game involving a kick-ass white male has a world that's built around him that's much more the focus of the story and setting.

I have no idea where you got all that from. I care about having different experiences. The story and the setting are influenced by the protagonist, it's a crucial part. That's why kick-ass white male typically has some female love interest throughout the story. There are just too many parallels. It's true, that story, setting, and how fleshed out the character you are playing is, are more important. It's just something that's started to draw my attention, call it a pet peeve.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Sounds interesting. But since it's Michelle Rodriguez, can we assume she will die at the end?

 

[BreakfastMan]

I dunno, it could be a good thoughtful meditation on gender and sex. Similar movies with very similar plots have explored this before, to critical acclaim (See: The Skin I Live In). For myself, I will hold any judgement on whether the film is transphobic or not till it comes out.

Won't be watching it, though, because just reading about this film squicks the fuck out of me. Like, I just find the premise incredibly, deeply disturbing on a psychological level for a reason I can't quite pinpoint. D: Will be skipping this one, though I will be interested to hear how it turns out...

 

[CrystalShadow]

So when Chloë Sevigny was cast as male to female transexual assassin in Hit & Miss that gets a Glaad TV awards nomination. Michelle Rodriguez gets cast as a male to female transexual assassin in a movie that gets criticised. Hmm.

I don't quite think you understand the premise here.
This is someone that appears to have had surgery against their will.

That's just plain messed up, and has so many horrible implications...

 

[voltair27]

It sounds dumb because it's an uninspired plot with a gimmick that tries to make it unique.

 

[FirstNameLastName]

Wait, how and why do they give this person an involuntary sexual reassignment surgery? Discarding the why for now, since I'm sure they'll have some contrived reason, how exactly do they do this? Forgive my ignorance on the specifics of such procedures, but don't they often involve years of hormone treatments? I mean, you could give a person surgery, but without the long duration aspects they'll still just look like a guy, except for down stairs. What's more, their voice would still be the same. In such a case, would it not be more accurate to cast a man to play this character, rather than a woman, since this character couldn't possibly look like more like a woman than a man after only the surgery itself? Unless this character is actually going to be kidnapped and given years of hormone treatment, or maybe some kind of sci-fi medical procedure.

I'm not expecting absolute accuracy, but if you're going to make inaccurate elements then you ought to do them in a way that's not immediately obvious. Considering I know virtually nothing about such procedures, yet have immediately noticed the errors, I'm not sure how I could possibly suspend my disbelief at all this.

Oh, and I have no interest in this movie, so if they think I'll watch it to find out, they're wrong. I'm sure I'll forget about it until it's released and people inevitably begin talking about it again.

 

[Loethlin]

Didn't realise transploitation is a thing these days.

 

[happyninja42]

Wait, how and why do they give this person an involuntary sexual reassignment surgery? Discarding the why for now, since I'm sure they'll have some contrived reason, how exactly do they do this? Forgive my ignorance on the specifics of such procedures, but don't they often involve years of hormone treatments?

To answer this question, I point you to the medical impossibility that is the Crank movie series. Hollywood has not a single fuck to give about whether or not something is actually medically accurate, if it can move a storyline forward for them.

 

[Erttheking]

Forced gender reassignment surgery as a plot point

Oh for god's sake...

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Didn't realise transploitation is a thing these days.

We've had; Nunsploitation, Blacksploitation and Aus-sploitation. What's another?

 

[Lightknight]

"People are making a movie we don't have to see about a topic we don't like?!!" So what? If someone paints a portrait of a monkey jerking off in a tree I just look for a different painting that I enjoy. I don't rage cry and demand that the gallery owner remove the painting from the wall that it might no longer offend me or try and demand that the artist do something else.

It's ridiculous to get outraged over someone producing art that they themselves care about. It is certainly fine to not like something. But to actually get mad that someone is telling a story? How self important do you (royal you) have to be to think that even our story tellers have to abide by your own personal rules?

 

[EvilRoy]

Didn't realise transploitation is a thing these days.

We've had; Nunsploitation, Blacksploitation and Aus-sploitation. What's another?

Revengesploitation and Bruce Lee-sploitation both exist. Former is pretty popular even today. I can't think of any more, but they must exist...

As much as I understand why people aren't really happy about this, number one: The Crying Game and Sleepaway Camp used this as a plot twist so at least the idea is being upgraded to a full on plot, and number two: part of being accepted in the mainstream is getting bad movies with stupid plots made about you - it happens to almost every culture now.

 

[happyninja42]

Bruce Lee-sploitation both exist. Former is pretty popular even today. I can't think of any more, but they must exist...

Tee hee, now all I can think of is Spoony's review of The Clones of Bruce Lee. xD

As much as I understand why people aren't really happy about this, number one: The Crying Game and Sleepaway Camp used this as a plot twist so at least the idea is being upgraded to a full on plot, and number two: part of being accepted in the mainstream is getting bad movies with stupid plots made about you - it happens to almost every culture now.

I still think that the bulk of complaints are likely due to the "horror" representation of the transgender issue. It's not being portrayed as a life affirming choice, that someone makes to have their out appearance reflect their inner identity of themselves, thus giving them a more solid personal identity and comfort in their lives. It's being presented as a body torture horror thing, being done to someone against their will, as a punishment for...well something, not sure what. Considering this is the main selling point of the movie probably with a lame tagline like the following:

"He was in the business of taking lives, they took his dick, now he's taking it back! With interest!" Or some such bullshit, I can honestly see why the people who are trying to get transgenders accepted as just a regular part of life, would take issue with having something so significant to them being represented as a form of torture/mutilation.

Regarding Crying Game (not sure about Sleepaway Camp, never heard of it), again, the transgender(or possibly just crossdressing, I dunno) aspect of the plot is something that was voluntary on the part of the woman in the story. It wasn't something forced upon her. Saying they've got the same plot concept is like saying that Crank and Untamed Heart both have the same plot concept, because they both involve heart surgery. They're not the same thing.

 

[Cycloptomese]

This reminds me of the time that I was scrolling through itunes movies and ran across the synopsis for Snowpiercer having no prior knowledge of the movie's existence. It sounded so goofy that I absolutely had to watch it right then and there. In no way was I prepared for how awesome it turned out to be.

So, I can't wait to see this.

 

[deleted_by_strongbad]

So you all realize that a both biologically and self identified man who was forcibly changed into a woman, is neither a woman nor a transgender individual, and the outrage at this would be less questioned if the plot read: a white man was turned into a black man against his will and now he seeks revenge!

but it doesn't matter any more, I don't get this community, good bye.

 

[Briggins]

This seems like a pretty bad idea, if only because the plot doesn't make much sense. There's no reason for the gangsters to just not shoot him and be done with it. If he was willingly undergoing surgery as a method of disguise, to make revenge easier, maybe it could be plausible. They need to fix the gaping plot holes before they can even begin to tackle the elephant in the room.

 

[happyninja42]

This seems like a pretty bad idea, if only because the plot doesn't make much sense. There's no reason for the gangsters to just not shoot him and be done with it.

Of course there is a reason. "Because badguy" Seriously, SO many movies have required the villain to act like a Hollywood villain, and not like a regular criminal. Similar to this is the example I keep using. Crank. Sure the criminal could've just killed him, but then we wouldn't have had a movie. If we veto'd movie ideas on the basis of "that doesn't make logical sense" then probably 75% of most action movies, and most romantic comedies too, would have to be scrapped. I don't really have a problem with the concept of a plot that makes no sense, depending on how it's executed in the film.

If he was willingly undergoing surgery as a method of disguise, to make revenge easier, maybe it could be plausible. They need to fix the gaping plot holes before they can even begin to tackle the elephant in the room.

Again, if it was ok for Crank, it's ok for this movie. Nobody gives a shit if it makes biological/medical sense, at least most people in Hollywood don't.

capcha: mustachioed. yes, that would be the kind of villain that would think this was a good idea to deal with an enemy. A Mustachioed Villain, complete with twirling cackle.