Book Review: "See Change:: How Studios Abandoned Women to Focus on Sequels and Superheroes - And Why It's Ruining Cinema" by Laremy Legel

With the release of "Film Critic," Laremy Legel went from just being another critic with a podcast (Brad 'N Laremy) to a sort of sensation. He wrote the book on film criticism and packed it full of wit and insightful tips on how to at least start (his proposed sequel will tell you actually how to be viable at it). While not a full length book, his follow-up "See Change: How Studios Abandoned Women to Focus on Sequels and Superheroes - And Why It's Ruining Cinema" tackles another important issue for anyone who has spent time at the theaters this summer. Where is the representation of women?

I have quickly become a fan of Legel's writing skills simply because he manages to be concise without being droll. He will present the truth in very casual terminology to the point that you question his actual content. Nonetheless, his insights have quickly made him an author of note on the subject and in due time, I feel like he could become one of the more respected voices. Even if he doesn't, I'll probably buy his books because I come away more informed than before.

Without getting too much into it, my Top 5 for 2013 has in fact female-centric movies at the center of the plot. As I got through this summer, I sat through ads of Man of Steel and Wolverine and felt that I would never go to see those. They looked boring, bloated, and I wanted to understand a better reason why. This book's beginning tackles this subject directly by answering the most obvious answer why women aren't as represented in movies: financial.

Presenting graphs and statistics as well as year-by-year analysis of grosses, Legel's work here isn't so much presented as opinion, but fact. Without discrediting women, he points out that due to men being the dominant buyer of these products, and with international box office almost always more successful, the issue becomes more prevalent. International-travelling films with little or no distinctiveness is what will sell the tickets. With reports that Pacific Rim made more globally than in America, this continues to be a fact. 

At first glance, this feels like the author is off topic, but cinema is a business after all. If we didn't understand the economics, then the issue wouldn't be as clear. He moves onto more and more specifics, including how women are represented in front of and behind the camera as well as in the world of film criticism. It may not be equal, but as someone who admires critics like Katey Rich,and thus already familiar with this book's main issues, but at least it isn't close to zero in terms of progressiveness.  He even explores how minorities and genders are represented at the Oscars and how even at a gradual increase, 50 years of foreseeable change will barely turn the tide on the cultural representation.

There's many, many facets explored in the book and they are not all bleak. While it is a very informative guide to gender equality in film, it also serves as a speculative on how things are changing. Kickstarter is the prominent example of this, which very well may be tearing apart the industry one leg at a time. In a way, the book plays out as a tragedy: bleak beginning, journey in the middle, and a hopeful, successful ending. 

I don't believe that it is persuasive enough to change the entire culture as a whole, but I do feel like it is at very least a strong reference guide for those wanting to know the exact truth behind these statistics are. It isn't as terrible as the title will suggest, but it does help to clarify why popular, mainstream cinema is in need of a face lift. At a brisk 67 pages, it has very little filler and with insights into the industry that are credible due to his expertise, I feel like "See Change" has the ability to be a cornerstone in the way that many perceive culture. It may pale in comparison to his "Film Critic" book, but if "See Change" even attempts to present a catalyst, then I am hopeful that whatever he comes up with next will be just as, or even more, impacting on society.

Rating: 4 out of 5