In probably one of the most compelling stories of empowered women comes Anette Sidor’s F**k You. On a night out with her friends, Alice (Yandeh Sallah) steals a hefty dildo from a local adult gift shop.
The next day, Alice is goofing off with several of her girl and boy friends. Taking a moment to make out with her boyfriend Johannes (Martin Schaub), the two begin to explore personal space innocently. When they rejoin the main group, the boys assert their dominance in a little game of quarters. Alice wants to play, but Johannes won’t let her. Alice tricks him into a round and Johannes holds back and doesn’t play fair.
An upset Alice storms off with the other girls. While rifling through her backpack, Alice discovers the dildo she shoplifted and straps it on. With the final snap, Alice suddenly feels empowered. She stands taller with her chest out. Her girlfriends see the difference. With her newfound confidence, she approaches the boys and immediately intimidates them by waving her dick around. Finally, she has a pretty intense interchange with Johannes.
The problem I have with most politically-charged issues film is that they’re just overly blatant with its statement like a sledgehammer to the face. Sidor’s F**k You, on the other hand, slowly draws you in and finds a moment of brilliance to unleash that statement and finds a grounded way to play out the repercussions.
The storytelling is also incredible. Once Alice straps on that dildo, you feel her realization of the newfound power she has. She is absolutely intimidating as she slowly points her dick at the boys and dares them to…do something with it. As a male viewer, I felt the intensity of that intimidation as if I were a… Anyways, Yandeh Sallah gives a powerful performance turning the table on misogyny. I would definitely get this one in front of the Oscar nominating committee this year.
F**k You (2018) Written and directed by Anette Sidor. Starring Yandeh Sallah, Martin Schaub, TJ Miansangi, Astrid Plynning, Omeya Simbizi-Lundqvist. F**k You screened at the 2019 Palm Springs ShortFest.
8.5 out of 10 stars
