WALRUS SCORE: A-
The premise of Ladies First is simple: a male chauvinist bumps his head and wakes up in a world where women rule and men are the ones dealing with the double standards. Instead of Burger King, it’s Burger Queen. Instead of men catcalling women, it’s women catcalling men. It’s not the most original concept, but the movie makes it work thanks to the clever details packed into nearly every scene.
Sacha Baron Cohen is hilarious and surprisingly charming as he struggles to navigate this new reality. Rosamund Pike is fantastic as a ruthless executive climbing the corporate ladder, and a scene involving Fiona Shaw had me laughing harder than I’ve laughed at a movie in years.
Ladies First never loses sight of its main goal: being funny. The message is there, but it’s delivered through laughs rather than lectures. It’s definitely geared toward adults and can be pretty lewd at times, but that’s part of the fun. Director Thea Sharrock strikes the perfect balance between outrageous comedy and genuine heart.
I loved this movie and haven’t laughed this much in a long time. Whether it lands for you the way it landed for me remains to be seen, but for laughs alone, I give Ladies First an A-. The surprisingly tender heart underneath it all is just a bonus.
