99. A Fantastic Woman (Una Mujer Fantástica); movie review
Cert 15
104 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, discriminatory behaviour
Last week I was told how a young transexual had been accepted by everyone at his school but his father was in denial and continued to call him by his female name.
I understood the dilemma from both sides. The child would be craving acceptance but the father would be lost in a sea of confusion.
The question of embracement over rejection of transgender people is at the very heart of Sebastián Lelio's A Fantastic Woman which won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
It stars Daniela Vega, a real-life turns woman, who plays Marina, the lover of much older man (Francisco Reyes).
Sadly, just after a romantic dinner, he suffers an aneurysm and dies, leaving Marina to face his estranged family.
It is a hopeless situation. They would have treated her badly simply because she was his lover but they are doubly furious because of her sexuality.
A Fantastic Woman prompts an interesting debate about acceptance. While understanding Marina's loss, I could also imagine the troubled feelings of his ex-wife (Aline Küppenheim).
Vega is terrific in the lead role - bubbling with indignation under a surface of calm.
I presume she reaches into personal experience by showing how lonely being transgender can be in a world where detractors are many.
The best that can be said of her performance that it may well influence audiences to think differently.
But Lelio's film is clever enough to avoid stark judgments - it allows for sympathy with her lover's family while eliciting empathy for Marina.
The director understands that life is not cut and dried and treats the audience with the intelligence which they will need to watch his movie with an open mind.
However, his movie does waste time by wandering off at strange tangents which prevents it being quite as devastating as it might have been.
Reasons to watch: A very different, thought-provoking film
Reasons to avoid: It wanders off at unnecessary tangents
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8.5/10
Director's quote - Sebastian Lelio: "Somehow, the nomination for this film implies a nod to Daniela’s performance.”
The big question - How long before transgender people are accepted as widely as heterosexuals?
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