The film revolves around a student who has begun to exploit the art as a rich source of creative inspiration as she slaughters her rapist. One day, someone appears to take revenge on college girls, whose attackers have freely left as it comes to a live thesis.
Brazilian-born filmmaker and actress Natalia Leite bypasses many of the clichés that make genre films featuring sexually based violence against women feel so sleazy.
It is difficult to report negatively about a film that focuses on sexual assault when so few films are brave enough to, but when it is handled as poorly and dangerously as it is here, it is important to address its problems head-on.
While it may not be a "feel good" experience by any means, M.F.A. is a genuinely necessary film that takes on an important issue and explores the many-faceted emotions and responses to rape with a great sense of nuance and emotional centeredness.
While the feminist intention is clear, the idea that either being raped, becoming a serial killer or a combination of both improves her art - and leads to her wanting to paint naked - is egregious.
"M.F.A.'s" themes call for a careful, consistent tone that it is rarely able to maintain, and an increasingly ridiculous third act squanders much of the empathy and engagement that Leite works so hard to build in the early going.
