“His Girl Friday”: Howard Hawks Softened A Political Satire Into A Proto-Feminist Romcom
"His Girl Friday" set the bar for romcoms and gave us a feminist heroine before feminism was cool.

The childhood of Kerdo, the lead singer of the scandalous pop duo Respekt, was anything but rosy. Stepfathers struggling with alcoholism and a constant sense of homelessness have left their mark. His dream of becoming a famous singer is the only certainty that stays with him. But the life of an artist is full of obstacles and temptations. Only escaping into fantasies helps him survive. When his grandmother sacrifices her savings to bring his big dream even closer, he is consumed by an infernal euphoria. Yet, not even Paris can fulfill all his desires and demands. Reality keeps pulling Kerdo onto the wrong path. Somehow, finding fame, fortune, and love all at once seems impossible. Is it already too late to make the right choices? But what is "right" for anyone? Why was I born this way? There is only one Kerdo – but inside him, there is also God and the Devil! Who will win? Even the doctors at the psychiatric hospital don't understand.
"His Girl Friday" set the bar for romcoms and gave us a feminist heroine before feminism was cool.
A complete ranking of every Godzilla movie, including shared universe films.
Him is visually stunning—all concrete cathedrals and bone-rattling impact shots that look like a nightmare highlight reel. Marlon Wayans is magnetic as this legendary quarterback who's basically selling salvation with a smile that never quite reaches his eyes. But the story keeps running in circles: more tests, more cryptic pep talks, more ritualistic drills. The sports-as-religion metaphor beats you over the head when subtlety would've been more effective. The middle drags, and that finale chooses spectacle over substance. It's undeniably stylish, but left me cold. Also worth noting: despite the Monkeypaw connection, this isn't actually a Jordan Peele film—he didn't write or direct.
In this short film, writer/director Nikita Hattangady focuses on Jai, a starving artist rooted in the latter category. Though unhoused, he works hard.
The human experience is described through the eyes of a marginalized outsider, neither judgmental nor invested, just an observant donkey.