This movie comes at a great time when one can wish to watch something nice and humorous. The story follows the life of Damien Sachs, a wealthy, arrogant advertisement executive who is also sexist by nature. Post a bizarre accident, he wakes up in an alternate reality where society is flipped. In this world, women dominate the male field: you can see them in boardroom meetings, politics, and taking over public life. Alex Fox, his once hugely overlooked colleague, is now standing at the place where he once stood. Having never experienced a life like this before, Damien Sachs must now navigate one in which he is no longer in a position of power. But how can a man as sexist as him do that? That is what the Ladies First show.
The movie is an interesting take. The plot sounds similar to that of Barbie, except that Ken’s plot is reversed. The plot runs solely on satire, showing us what it is like when women run the world. And trust me, when you watch, you won’t feel odd. The makers have ensured that Ladies First doesn’t sound like propaganda on women's empowerment with the help of all the humor that comes in the runtime. That technique makes the movie a really fun watch.
A big credit should go to the writers for writing in the most balanced tone they could have ever written. Everything feels like a good satire in the women-dominated world that the character of Damien Sachs ends up feeling odd. And that is what they wanted to do. This serves the plot well. We are shown men feeling unsafe while being catcalled, women acting like men, all the while, and whatnot. Basically, whatever you can imagine of a woman going through, it is the same that men undergo in this world.
The pacing is a slight issue, as the movie slows down a bit in the second half. I wished that it were an area the makers had concentrated on. Nonetheless, since the screenwriting is good, this is one aspect that can be easily ignored.
Sacha Baron Cohen as Damien Sachs is fearless in this satirical comedy. He makes his role so convincing that from his character’s point of view, you can understand everything. He was undoubtedly the best choice for the role. Meanwhile, Rosamund Pike as Alex Fox is a breath of fresh air. The way she plays her character, she manages to leave a mark even after the credits begin to roll. It is the cast of Ladies First that made the entire movie possible. The range of emotions they show once the roles are reversed and when they aren’t, that makes everything worth a watch right from start to end.
The only issue is that the character of Alex Fox feels a bit underwritten. As someone who takes the place of Damien Sachs, she becomes a bit predictable with what she plays. She could have been portrayed better than she has been so far. It seems as if the writer’s sole focus was on getting Damien Sachs’s character right. But even with all the flaws, the movie is at least worth one watch if you want a good dosage of satire.
Final Score- [7/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Ch
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Publisher at Midgard Times