Intcatinfo
A Masterpiece!
Invaderbank
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Caryl
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
Vultural ~
Sheesh, another Morgan Spurlock documentary. Male grooming - appearance - how men behold themselves - females point of view. Shallow work here, that skittered from one topic to another and lingered too long on marginal aspects (eg: the beard competition). Beards, mustaches, haircuts, toupees, all discussed for no apparent point. Men have always grown or worn those - who cares? Section of the product "Fresh Balls" was funny as anything. Also the older male comments that the current fad for body shaving is turning men into Barbie dolls. Film should have followed that path. Instead this is a time waster with no focus. Spurlock strikes me as more agreeable than Michael Moore, probably better to have a drink with. His output, however, causes me to think he is running out of things to say.
gavin6942
A documentary that explores the question: In the age of manscaping, metrosexuals, and grooming products galore - what does it mean to be a man? Morgan Spurlock is not putting on his best show here, and I think it might be because this film is drowning in celebrities (though this can possibly be explained by the producing of Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Ben Stiller -- the first two being great hosts).I like that the idea of mustache = pedophile was brought up, though some people pull it off (such as John Waters). How something fashionable in the 1970s or 1980s could today (2014) be so wrong is amazing, and the transition in popular culture would be worth exploring.I also really liked the scene with the wrestler shaving. I am not quite as hair as he is, but I can relate.The staff of the The A.V. Club named it one of the worst movies of 2012, criticizing it as "absolutely insufferable, a shabby excuse for a documentary that sadistically stretches to feature length a premise that would barely support a two-minute short." This is going much too far, though I confess much of it came off as fluff without any real substance.
ecby6887
'Mansome', a 2012 documentary directed by Morgan Spurlock (of 'Supersize Me' fame), seeks to answer the following questions about manliness in today's society: Have commonly accepted ideas of "men" changed with the advent of "manscaping", grooming, and the more commonly accepted "metrosexual" look? The documentary is advertised as having an all-star cast of Judd Apatow-esque "crude comedy" actors (Zach Galifianakis, Paul Rudd, Jason Bateman, etc) answering questions in "candid interviews" about their own personal struggle with being comfortable in their "gender role". In actuality, these actors answer questions briefly, and are truly only there for comic relief and to transition the documentary into the next subject. They are rarely seen. (I believe Zach Galifianakis is only in the film for a short one minute clip or so.) Actually, I was a little nonplussed in the way the movie was advertised. It's as if these "stoner comedy" characters were the epitome of manliness. (It almost made my heart break for the future of humanity.)Mansome originally caught my eye on my Netflix account because I teach a unit in my 12th grade curriculum on Media and Gender Portrayal. We talk quite a bit about (and try to come to some conclusion or consensus of) what it means to be a man in today's society and how the media panders to, or cultivates our understanding of "manliness" and gender roles. In the past, I've shown various parts of documentaries, and I think that with the changing view towards masculinity in our society, I would like to add various clips of different types of portrayals of men. The documentary unfolds in distinct sections, starting with a discussion about Morgan Spurlock's mustache. Spurlock talks about how his mustache has become a part of his identity, and struggles with shaving it off. The purpose of shaving it off is slightly unclear, except that he needs a "change", as he's had the 'stache for most of his life. He finally shaves it off, has an identity crisis, his daughter cries at the sight of his face, and he decides that he made a huge mistake by shaving. Although, as a woman, I don't understand the emotional connection to a mustache or facial hair, I can understand how hair (for me, my long blonde hair that I cut short once, and felt like a completely different person) can sometimes define you and become a part of your identity. A perfect example is a friend of mine, who whenever anyone asks about him, the first comment from his circle of friends is, "He just has a really solidly grown beard!" The entire segment did feel a little contrived, however, as if the purpose of the documentary from the first 20 mins was to explain that to men, appearance is everything. I don't find this to be true or even a compelling message to analyze and deconstruct as a statement on masculinity.This segment is shortly followed by a bearded wonder, a gentleman who considers himself a "beardsman" and competes in "beard competitions" internationally. At this point, although a hilarious segment, I couldn't possibly believe what I was watching. The entire rest of the movie seems to go for the "humor" aspect, completely disregarding the essential question that the film presented from the first segment. Other ideas presented in the film review body products, hair products, the male physique, and hair loss. The audience has limited interaction with Morgan Spurlock (except for his mustache-shaving incident of 2012 as the first scene). This is a far cry from Spurlock's previous endeavors in documentary film making, where he's been actively involved in narrating and crafting a plot, focus, and call to action in his films. Actually, you wouldn't even know that Morgan Spurlock was the director if you didn't see his name in the opening credits. The documentary pulls from so many interview sources (some famous people, some people we don't know or care about) and uses the rhetorical appeals of ethos ("credible sources", like Zach Galifianakis, who makes a point to reference his qualifications to discuss beards because of his solid beard) and pathos (an emotional appeal, like where some women talk about kissing a gentleman with a beard), but uses very little, if any at all, logical statements or statistics. The film itself is very minimalistic. Interviews were conducted in front of a gray colored wall, and these interviews are used for transition pieces to each segment of the film. The rest of the film is primarily filmed on location, and is an expository documentary film. My ultimate review is that while this film is pretty entertaining and amusing from an over- the-top character perspective, the message of masculinity seems a little one-dimensional and falls flat. I would not actually take this film as anything more than riding on the coat tails of current trends in society. If you're looking for something funny, you will probably enjoy this film. If you're looking for something that actually attacks the questions I listed above, this will not do it for you.
Steve Pulaski
Morgan Spurlock's new documentary, Mansome, explores the touchy subject of masculinity and what it means to be a man in the twenty-first century. He asks the very general question, and then searches around Hollywood to gather interviews from people like Adam Carolla, Zach Galifianakis, and John Waters to weigh in on their opinions of manliness. Considering that Spurlock has made documentaries previously on eating McDonalds for thirty days straight, finding Osama Bin Laden, funding a film using product placement and advertising, showcasing four different people who plan to make it big at San Diego Comic-Con, and even created a show where subjects live in others' shoes for thirty days, this isn't too far out in left field for him.Spurlock is a gifted documentarian, with a talent for creating the most interesting documentary topics and fueling his films with humor and substance. But Mansome isn't always as insightful or as interesting as it could be. The film has an idea, but struggles to build off of it, and what we're left with is an overgeneralized question, numerous chapters detailing small parts of that question, and a countless number of interviews that seem to be aiming for the witty aspect rather than the factual one clearly at hand. We get opinions every now and then, but actors like Galifianakis and Paul Rudd seem to be trying to come up with the best line to say rather than the best answer.There's also a rather oddly placed subplot, involving Arrested Development co-stars, Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, spending a day at the spa, being pampered, massaged, and bathed in lotion while discussing what it means to be a man. While the idea is cute and genial, this feels, again, too focused on providing the documentary with fluffy comedy rather than statistics, facts, and opinions.Probably the most interesting part of the film is when we learn about Jack Passion, a championship "bearder" who has traveled across the world, partaking in the sport of beard-building or "bearding." The sport part is growing the beard, and how you win is by showing it off to people. I'm reminded of when I had a debate with my friends about whether or not birding or bird-watching was a sport before seeking out The Big Year, a film centered around it. After much thought, I settled on the idea that birding was a sport. I'm not sure about bearding, however. But if it is, Passion can be considered the Babe Ruth of "bearding," winning many first place titles, world titles, and even traveling to a beard/mustache convention in England.One topic that I desperately wish the film would've centered more on is the idea of metrosexual behavior in males and how it could quickly transcend into blatant narcissism. One interviewer makes the statement that many do not know what the word means. In a nutshell, it basically refers to males who over-compensate their appearance by the littlest of things, such as every hair on their eyebrows and mustache must be properly combed and straightened, their belt and shoes need to match, they must not have one piece of lint on them, etc. It's basically obsessive compulsive dressing.We touch on this subject briefly at the end, but not as long as we spend on the idea of bearding and mustaches, which is a shame. Also, the film neglects to show how the pretty-boy image could've been influenced by actors and singers like Orlando Bloom, Justin Bieber, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Since many women find them attractive, do we try and model ourselves after them? And never do we touch on the idea of tattoos and body-ink as a form of expressing ourselves and how those have a positive or negative impact on our image.Mansome is a nice little venture in the idea of masculinity, the increasing or decreasing idea of "manliness," and overall, what makes "a man" in the first place. The problems lie from the lack of mature interviews, with many of the subjects cracking jokes rather than discussing their true opinions, the time we spend learning about petty things that are needless and unimportant, and how the film just appears dis-interesting at times. But as of now, it is probably the best film we have on the subject.Starring: Morgan Spurlock, Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Adam Carolla, Paul Rudd, and Zach Galifianakis. Directed by: Morgan Spurlock.
