Ya Girl’s Got Moxie | Moxie Movie Review
What do you get when you cross feminism, teenage angst, breaking cultural stereotypes, an SNL star turned director, and a half dozen cups of intersectionality? Definitely not a crisp dutch apple pie. Instead what is concocted is Netflix’s newest coming-of-age female-fronted film, Moxie – directed by none other than aforementioned Saturday Night Live and Baby Mama star, Amy Poehler also known as the other comedic half to Tina Fey – though Poehler is undeniably an artist all in her own right.
One thing in particular that stood out was getting to see Amy Poehler as an incredibly modern day mother figure closer to that of the mom from Gilmore Girls with a Netflix-bestowed ability to occasionally curse. This was an immense contrast to her role co-leading with good friend and collaborator, Tina Fey in the cinematically-released comedy, Baby Mama. Yet both films find commonality in the containment of very serious topics – with both focusing on women’s issues and dealing with them rather entertainingly. Whereas Moxie follows the journey of a young woman trying to find her own way with not-so-quiet undertones of feminism and intersectionality – Baby Mama dealt with surrogacy as its main topic in a punchy Zoolander meets 30 Rock kind of way whilst simultaneously exploring a difference between two economic classes.
Now what else made this piece different from Amy Poehler’s usual work? Specifically, the release date of the film stands out. March 8th – also known as International Women’s Day. And alongside that smart marketing plan, what stood out was having a male lead like that of Nico Haraga. It broke down barriers. Barriers that have for decades left Asian and other men of color left out of the category of male lead. These things have started to very slowly change with films like that of Crazy Rich Asians and the fairly newly popularized series, Bridgerton.
On top of breaking typecasting barriers, another immensely unique thing about Moxie is found in that of the soundtrack which would tickle most any rebel girl’s fancy – featuring a certain just referenced and ever popular song by the band, Bikini Kill as an anthem.
In regards to the more technically-focused side, the film itself starts with cooler tones like that of the beginning of Hunger Games – an undeniable contrast to the usual warm-coloring found among most comedic films and to the rest of this primarily tungsten-lit film. And one production designed possibly purposely hidden joke is seen within the set decoration of the main character’s english classroom, but alas, no spoilers.
Moxie tackles the topic of feminism with its unafraid manner of facing issues head on – namely tackling certain issues only women+ have to go through. It matter-of-factly differentiates the lives of LGBTQ+ women, women with disabilities, and women of color from that of the stereotypically baseline white cis-femme-identifying perspective usually shown in female-led films whilst still giving authentic voices.
Altogether, Moxie is a must-see for the modern day revolutionary of any gender identification and speaks to generations to come very clearly with its message of equality for all identities. Moxie reeks of inspiration and revolution. Ready to take a whiff? Find it on Netflix now.
