By: Paige Inglee

A comedy focused on sexism in the workplace is a pretty tough film to tackle, but it’s one that director Adam Shankman conquers with his new film “What Men Want.” This laugh-out-loud, drama-filled, romantic comedy gave everything it promised. There were many laughs, “awwwws” during cheesy romance moments, and a powerful leading-lady driven plot.

In “What Men Want” agent, for a male dominated sports agency, Ali (Taraji P. Henson) is told that she did not receive a promotion because she “does not understand men.” Ali vows to sign the next big basketball star, Jamal Berry (Shane Paul McGhie), and prove to her male boss and coworkers that she has what it takes. Ali receives help with this task, from a psychic at her friend’s bachelorette party. After drinking some shady tea and hitting her head after getting down at a club, Ali wakes up to find that she can now hear men’s inner thoughts. While she was freaked out at first, with the help of her gay assistant Brandon (Josh Brener), she discovers that she can use this “gift” to her advantage and win the promotion she deserves. Through the ups and downs of life, and navigating her newfound ability, Ali realizes that there is more to life than just getting the next big promotion.

Throughout the film there are many subplots that help drive the story along, capturing the audience’s attention, and leave viewers feeling satisfied with the outcome. One of the highpoints of the movie was Ali’s relationship with her three best friends. Henson and her bestie crew convey a strong female relationship, while also bouncing one-liners off of each other. Ali also has relationships throughout the film with a single father named Will (Aldis Hodge) and his son Ben, as well as her assistant Brandon. While many of the interactions between characters are dramatized and comedic, being it is a film, the way that Ali navigates the highs and lows of these relationships is consistently relatable, and also at times somewhat predictable. This feel good film hits all the points a rom-com should, and rightly so, but that does lead to the big movie moments being cliché that the audience can guess are coming. The movie is not all around perfect as it has those predictable moments and forces a couple of jokes that were probably funny 10 years ago, but it does not waver when it comes to addressing sexism in the workplace.

Strong business-minded women are not a new concept, and the concept of them “having it all,” a life and a job, is not unheard of either. However, generally the portrayal of the woman who has the perfect life does not show her working for it. Her life is effortless and everything is wonderful. “What Men Want”shows the struggle, and it does not back down from the struggle of working in a male-dominated work place. Ali goes head to head with her boss and coworkers on multiple occasions, and during one of these confrontations she asks him point blank, “So you wouldn’t fire me because I’m a woman?” Ali also learns from her coworkers that there is a difference in being a strong woman in the work places who will do what it takes to get what she wants, and being so means that even if she were a man she would be disliked. On top of her workplace revelations, Ali also has to work to maintain her friendships, as well as try to create a lasting relationship with Will when her insecurities keep getting in the way. Ali proves that real powerful women can have it all, and that work is not the end all be all when it comes to feeling successful.