‘Female Pervert’ DIRECTED by: Jiyoung Lee
It’s a common occurrence for a film to explore the objectification of women, usually by featuring stereotypical male protagonists whose only goal in life is to repeatedly get laid by as many nameless women as possible. In Female Pervert, writer-director Jiyoung Lee takes this trope and flips it around, focusing on a woman who objectifies the men in her life. This results in a delightfully awkward romp that, while fun, plays it a little too safe.
Jennifer Kim stars as Phoebe, a sexually curious video game designer struggling to find a male companion who shares in her bedroom eccentricities. As Phoebe floats through life, she finds solace in her monthly Murakami book club and the company she keeps with her therapist. Although she seems to find joy in life, her sexual frustrations begin to get the best of her, causing her to act out and push away those closest to her.
The film opens with a particularly funny scene involving Phoebe, her prospective suitor and a Theremin, which sets the stage early on for the type of wry humor present throughout the film’s very short runtime. Kim gives the best and most humorous performance, displaying some great comedic timing that complements the awkward dialogue. The other performances are a mixed bag though, with some being downright awful. This wasn’t much of an issue for me, however I can see it being a problem for some viewers.
Phoebe’s strange fetishes only seem partially explored, however, making the film feel rushed and incomplete. The character of Phoebe is interesting and likable, and I would have liked to have spent a bit more time getting to know her and learning more about her relationships. These encounters make up the funniest and most endearing aspects of the film, but they get lost among repeated scenes of therapy sessions and book club meetings. By the end, it feels as if we’ve only skimmed the surface on the life of Phoebe, and I was left wanting more.
Judging from the trailer and title, one may think the content within this film might be risqué or graphic, but that’s not really the case. The sex in the movie could only be described as quirky, not necessarily perverted. All of her encounters end before any type of coitus can begin, and I never really felt like the men in the film were being objectified as the synopsis would have you believe.
This didn’t prove to be a much of a problem, and if she was any more perverted, it may have caused us to look at her differently. But if the film is trying to flip the script on sex comedies, it may have been prudent to stoop to their level of gross-out comedy.
Female Pervert is an entertaining and, at times, laugh-out-loud sex comedy that will certainly appeal to those who are into awkward conversations and situations. Although the plot feels slightly underdeveloped, this is still an easy recommendation for anyone who has been enjoying this latest crop of female-driven comedies.
I think Variety’s review summed it up the best: a complete waste of time.
This was the worst movie at Slamdance.