This is part 4 of a series titled The French Connection. This series looks at French art and culture introduced to Philadelphia. Through analyzing the art itself, its significance to France, and even its potential crossover with Philly culture, this will be an exploration on how French art can truly impact and engage U.S. viewers.

For the past three reviews, my focus has been entirely on acclaimed, award-winning works. All three movies were a part of last year’s Cannes Film Festival, were heavy dramas, and saw Oscar nominations in 2020. The last film I am tackling for this series is the complete opposite. I Am Not an Easy Man is a 2018 lighthearted romantic comedy that saw good reviews, but no awards love. However, there are plenty of elements that make the film significant and worth talking about.

Not only was it the first French-language film commissioned by Netflix, it also came from heavy material. The film’s origins can be traced to a 2010 short film Oppressed Majority, from the same director Eleonore Pourriat. In fact, the short’s lead Pierre Benezit has a supporting role in this film. Focusing on a man experiencing sexism and assault in a parallel universe where women are the dominant sex, it’s surprising such a film inspired a light battle of the sexes comedy.

Regardless, I Am Not an Easy Man succeeds thanks to its fun visual comedy and strong messaging, resulting in an enjoyable crowd pleaser.

It’s a Woman’s World

Damien (Vincent Elbaz) is a chauvinist. He cracks jokes about women with the boys. He’s a womanizer. He is the perfect example of the patriarchy, born into endless freedom with no repercussions. Things change when he gets bumped on the head. Damien is then transported to another world. A world where men are the weaker sex. Men are in scantily-clad advertisements, overly emotional, expected to shave everywhere, and are seen by women on a daily basis. Women have the biggest work positions, love to look at and catcall men, and some hate just how annoying they can be over their problems. Especially those masculists who whine about everything.

From that synopsis alone, it’s easy to see where things go from here. Having said that, there’s still plenty of fun and education to be had here. When it comes to the comedy, Pourriat uses a lot of humorous visual gags. Society has made it so that seeing a man in short pants or taking part in a bikini wax is hilarious, and Pourriat takes advantage of that. But Pourriat never takes it too far. It’s all in humiliation for Damien’s actions, and it never goes in the way of mockery or belittlement towards femininity. The main source of comedy is the ridiculous actions women must do to survive in the patriarchy, but gender-flipped.

A Feminist Gaze

In a strange way, just the appearance of a man performing such degrading tasks really puts sexism and the patriarchy into perspective. Items that seem so mundane when applied to women seem ridiculous towards men. Pourriat has great fun creating a matriarchal world, but also shows how even subtle instances of patriarchy influence culture so much.

Perhaps the best instances is the film’s mockery of the male gaze. One scene features male strippers performing the sensous dances found with female strippers. It’s a far cry from the Chip ‘n’ Dale dancers of the patriarchy, highlighting how overtly sexualized female strippers are compared to their male counterparts. These moments can be charming, but also highlight moments people don’t really think about, making sure its themes are more internalized as a result.

The dialogue is also subtle, adding in plenty of hidden gags and undertones to the film that makes it entertaining to watch on repeats.

The French-US Connection

The obvious answer when it comes to what Philadelphia viewers should get from the film is its look at gender roles. And that is very much true. The film is holding a mirror to society, albeit in a tongue-in-cheek way. There’s plenty of subtle instances of sexism found in this reversed society that brings up plenty of truths.

However, I think the one element the film skewers the most that people should internalize the most is power. When Damien winds up in this new society, he bumps into and falls in love with Alexandra (Marie-Sophie Ferdane), a woman who is a chauvinist towards men. Alexandra is a showcase to Damien about his horrible actions. But she also shows that a matriarchal society has its downsides. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and Alexandra uses her power to degrade and insult men.

It can get uncomfortable at points, as Pouirrat emphasizes how power imbalances make things worse for everyone. It’s important to achieve equality. It’s important men get criticism for their actions. And to be fair, there is something cathartic about women becoming dominant and knocking men down a peg. But there is a necessity for balance here, and it’s necessary to recognize the evil within absolute power.

To Sum Up…

I Am Not an Easy Man is pretty fun stuff. There’s great comedy and great fun in seeing a chauvinist knock down a few pegs. But despite the laughs, there’s still plenty of truth and powerful statements subtly thrown into a supposedly broad farce. Men, women, patriarchy, sexism. Nothing gets ignored. In many ways, I Am Not an Easy Men has plenty in common with the prior Cannes offerings I reviewed.

French cinema has plenty to offer in terms of direction, themes, characters, and emotions. They can play to all kinds of audiences, so long as they are willing to read the subtitles. It was enriching to go through these movies, discovering what made them so popular in the first place. And I hope to continue to connect with a country that celebrates liberty, equality, and fraternity.

Thank you for following me as I traveled to The French Connection. Now I hope you will do the same.