Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Black
Director: Bobby and Peter Farrelly
Rated: M15+
IN Shallow Hal, Hal (Jack Black) is a misogynist. While he is obese, he hates fat women.
Needless to say most women cannot stand him. Hal meets motivation guru Tony Robbins who hypnotises him into seeing all fat people as thin. Hal falls in love with the chronically obese Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow).
The hypnosis is reversed and Hal has to make a fully informed choice.
This film tries hard to push home a worthy message about body image and inner beauty. The problem is that the Farrelly brothers’ script and direction is appallingly sexist.
A woman’s body image is the only one these men are interested in and so they reinforce part of the stereotype they want to attack.
The Farrellys made Dumb and Dumber and Me, Myself and Irene. They find humour in other people’s misfortunes and when scrapped for material, settle on toilet humour for a laugh.
