Herself - All Heart

 

Stream it on Amazon Prime 

Meitheal [meh-hill] - An Irish term meaning people coming together to help each other, and by doing so, they are helped in return. 

    Female empowerment is something that I enjoy seeing in movies, but I am often disappointed when the filmmakers who attempt to present it don't actually understand what it means. Look no further than Disney's live-action remake of Mulan or Warner Brother's Wonder Woman 1984 for prime examples. These films operate under the false assumption that female empowerment means having women protagonists who are overpowered with no flaws existing in an alternate reality where all women are automatically good regardless of their actions. At the same time, all men are irredeemable and evil, with no exceptions. Speaking as a feminist male who is well aware of the annoying and inhumane consequences of "male privilege" and understands the desire for this kind of female empowerment fantasy, I personally find this perception of female empowerment to be just as toxic as Zack Snyder's perception of "true masculinity," where men are expected to lumber around like overly pumped gorillas and brute force their way through any given problem. Please understand, I am fully aware of where these ideas are coming from; I just don't find them to be as healthy or as enriching as some would like to believe. 

    To me, true empowerment, regardless of sex, comes from the willpower and courage to overcome terrible obstacles despite one's own fears or flaws. Case in point, Ripley from Aliens, who literally enters the bowels of hell to face off against a terrifying monster to save the life of a little girl despite her own fears and mortality. Empowerment does not require superpowers or no flaws; it comes from accepting your flaws and finding the courage to work with or around them to overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. 

    Today's film, Herself, is another shining example of the good kind of female empowerment. The story of resilience, survival, and determination in the face of adversity, abuse, and staggering odds. This is the kind of female empowerment we need more of. 

    Set in Ireland, the story follows a woman named Sandra (Clare Dunne), a mother of two girls in the arduous process of separating from her abusive husband while working two jobs and temporarily residing in an airport hotel. While exploring her options for a better life for herself and her daughters, she stumbles upon an online video of a guy who successfully built his own house for under 35,000 pounds (or 48,000 USD). All she needs is a plot of land, materials, a loan, and a group of willing volunteers to help her build. With the help of some long-time friends and a few kind strangers, Sandra gets to work on building her affordable house for herself and her daughters. 

    This is a beautiful, timely, and emotionally resonating film! It's a stunning character piece loaded with charm and heart. It's a wonderfully constructed story with relevant commentary about the housing crisis in Ireland. Not to mention a brilliant showcase of how helping each other however we can is indeed more human than some may prefer to believe. 

    The cast is remarkable all around, especially Molly McCann and Ruby Rose O'Hara as the young daughters. Both of them are simply adorable and prove themselves as capable performers. Their chemistry with the leading lady Clare Dunne (who also co-wrote the script) is fascinating and solidifies itself as the film's heart. 

    I cannot recommend that you see this film enough. It will make you laugh and cry more times than you can count. 

    Check this one out. 

Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.