The latest Amy Poehler movie is not about the invention of feminism and the constant struggle within the movement. This Netflix film is about a person who discovers something new, finds her inner calling and then simply joins a growing movement.
Like many others, Vivian is a high school junior who is struggling to find her true passions in life – she’s an introvert who doesn’t know her purpose. She comes across the high school jock Mitchell who starts harassing the new student Lucy. This is when she takes a chapter out of her mother’s book and starts an anonymous zine called Moxie. She starts rallying against students who fail to stand up to the daily injustices that challenge the basic dignity of victims.
The movie is based on a novel by Jennifer Mathieu and is adapted for screen by Tamara Chestna and Dylan Meyer. Look, from the first scene you know that it’s not a revolutionary movie that will change the shape of this society. But the movie is actually an attempt to highlight the problems that women face in their daily lives, it about the everyday victories that go on to become formative epiphanies. The movie is not about the history, it’s about the future, our future.
Honestly, the movie is like Gossip Girl but woke. The girl who know one would expect a thing from becomes the most popular person in school. Her name is on everybody’s lips and she challenges and highlights the problems faced by women in their everyday life.
Of course, the hunt begins to unravel the face behind the words. It’s obviously challenging to track her down as she carries a shy exterior. The point is that no one can know Moxie until she knows herself. There’s a range of emotions and a series of queries that become the epicenter of Vivian’s life. She eventually discovers her true ambition in life.
The cast includes Alycia Pascual-Pena, Sydney Park, Josie Totah, and Anjelika Washington. The best part about this movie is that is preaches the idea that the success of one woman is the success of all women. The silences in the film are filled with warmth and ever-lasting emotions of female friendship.
Moxie is not a straightforward tale of how Vivian becomes Moxie – amidst all this, she has a fight with her best friend Claudia and not because she’s against feminism but because she’s held back by her mother. You get to see the movie get dragged into the typical Asian parent trope but to a large degree the problem is universal.
The movie has several heartwarming moments – the way is dives deep and explores the friendship of Vivian and Claudia is inspiring. But one has to understand that this was just one aspect of the movie or a subplot – the actual story is focused on the injustices faced by women. There are a couple of fun supporting characters to add entertaining element to the film. Without humor, lessons aren’t effective, you see.
It’s incredible to see the Moxie girls be so blaze and unapologetic about their being. You will find moments of biasness and women will find themselves stuck in the outdated system but they show persistence and resistance and that’s exactly matters.
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