The DC Extended Universe may have failed to remotely match the Marvel Cinematic Universe and many of their movies have been panned critically and have failed to explode at the box office, but one film which has been widely praised is Wonder Woman. Released in the summer of 2017, the Patty Jenkins-directed and Gal Gadot-starring film grossed over $800 million at the box office and has been universally hailed by the critics.
Gal Gadot
The main reason why Wonder Woman did so well among the general public is the performance of Gadot. The 32-year-old Israeli actress was powerful in her role and was hugely convincing, and there is little surprise that she was given a lead role in the Justice League movie. With Batman and Superman also in the film, it was Gadot’s performance as Wonder Woman that stood out, summing up just how popular a movie can be among the audience with a strong female lead or character.
The year 2017 was a big year in movies giving female characters lead or major roles. Atomic Blonde was one such film. The American spy film starred one of the most versatile female actresses of the modern era in Charlize Theron, who awed the audience with a strong yet emotional performance. The 42-year-old plays prominent roles in movies and her stakes are high, and there is little surprise that the film recouped more than three times its budget at the box office.
Another well-crafted and popular movie in 2017 with a female lead character was Molly's Game. Based on the memoir Molly's Game: From Hollywood's Elite to Wall Street's Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker by Molly Bloom, the film starred Jessica Chastain as the lead character and is about her becoming the target of an FBI investigation for her underground poker empire.
The 40-year-old’s performance was strong and powerful, and the film has showed once more how glamorous the world of casino gaming can be. Of course, not everyone can become as rich as Molly Bloom or run an empire, but for those willing to to try their hand and visit poker rooms open 24/7, there are online casinos that offer deposit in CAD, as well as interesting welcome bonuses - for example Spin Palace has a $1000 free sign-on bonus so that new players can feel like the high rollers.
Battle of the Sexes is another movie released in 2017 which stars a female character in the lead role. The story is based on a tennis match that took place in 1973 between Billie Jean King and Robert Larimore Riggs, with Emma Stone as a central figure. The 29-year-old American actress has had some massive success in major movies in recent years such as The Amazing Spider-Man, Birdman and La La Land. Stone’s portrayal of Billie Jean King is as good as it gets.
The success of films such as Wonder Woman and Battle of the Sexes show that Hollywood is moving past the stereotypical macho-centric movies that have traditionally done well. The year 2017 was another step towards accepting gender equality in the film industry - let's hope that 2018 brings even more female leads.
Tagged in Charlize Theron Wonder Woman Gal Gadot