You may be one of those millions of people who have asked 
themselves this question and even if you are not, you will find 
the answer in the new independent comedy Machiavelli Hangman. 
From the time of conception, the embryo is created within the 
female mold and it only begins to alter once the male chromosome 
kicks in. The film is far from being a documentary, but it 
offers such quirky dialogue that it will leave the audience 
jittering for more as they step out of the theatre.

Glancing over the audience, I could see wide open eyes and 
slightly parted lips as the viewers were taken aback and 
delighted all at the same time by the quirkiness of the piece. I 
had seen this similar reaction at the premiere of Star Wars first 
prequel and more recently at one of the first screenings of 
Revenge of the Sith. It is as if the audience comes in to a 
temple and they are completely hypnotized and taken under control 
by the filmmaker.

"There’s nothing more powerful than the right combination of 
words, images and music and human beings fall at the mercy of the 
artist," offered one of the parents who was stepping out of the 
theatre. 

Machiavelli Hangman is one in the series of quirky dark comedies 
that have come out in recent years, including such cinematic 
delights as the Usual Suspects, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and 
a close cousin of the not-so-funny-but-very-energetic Crash.

Machiavelli Hangman twists and turns and it does it in such a way 
that you don’t see what’s coming from the other side and you 
don’t know how you will feel as you’re swept around each corner. 
The film follows the life of a shoe shiner as he is accidentally 
mistaken for a professional killer and hired to assassinate the 
president. While he is in need of money, he has to think 
thoroughly about the moral situation at hand and decide whether 
to go to jail or go to hell.

There are a lot of spiritual undertones to the film and the 
characters all generate such strong fortification of the theme 
that you leave the final credits with a strong understanding of 
what the filmmaker had intended the message to be. It reminded me 
of the Incredibles and how it also had a theme that was so well 
though-out and evident in every action or piece of dialogue 
throughout the film. It relayed a message of independence and 
identity and even the children in the audience could pin point 
it.

Fortunately, films seem to become more aware of theme and 
communication of strong values to the audience. Even superhero 
films such as Spiderman or Batman Begins have had a stronger 
essence and insight into the human condition. As an avid movie 
lover, I can finally say that the future of Hollywood is finally 
looking very bright again. 

Debbie Newcomb is a movie 
reviewer. Machiavelli Hangman
http://www.hangmanmovie.com