118. Girl; movie review
Cert 15
106 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong sex, self harm
Have a look at the movie poster and the look again. What appears to be an attractive teenage girl is actually Victor Polster.
The Belgian dancer gives a remarkable performance as Lara - a trans ballerina who is trying to establish herself in an unforgiving career while going through a sex change.
Lukas Dhont's movie has been rightfully acclaimed - it is original in concept and portrayal and its execution leaves the audience enthralled.
But, be aware, there is one crucial scene which may require a hand over the eyes.
Anyway, Polster is entrancing as the young woman at odds with the world in which she is desperate to make her mark.
She is an outsider in her ballet school for obvious reasons and her attempts to make friends risk humiliation.
Meanwhile, at home, her father (Arieh Worthalter) is fraught because he recognises her psychological damage but she is unwilling to lower her guard to him.
This is despite him being fully on board with her sex reassignment.
Girl flits from doctors appointments to the rigorous ballet training and back to contemplative moments at home.
Lara's only normality is helping bring up her six-year-old brother.
Dhont's film paints transition as devastatingly difficult - both mentally and physically and yet, for Lara, it cannot happen quickly enough.
Despite the acceptance of her family and her unswerving commitment to her new life, depression is a lurking cloud.
Polster gives a startlingly good performance in the lead role, reflecting the complexity of her life with nuance.
However, Mrs W and I agreed there was too much concentration on the boy body of a transgender character (over and over again, we see her bandaging the unwanted appendage or focus on a top half which she is desperate to see develop).
This repetition and the echoed scenes from the dance studio and doctor's surgery diluted the impact of a movie which is both original and superbly acted.
Reasons to avoid: Goes over the same ground too much
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 8/10
Did you know? There is no robust data but government tentatively estimates that there are approximately 200,000-500,000 trans people in the UK.
The final word. Victor Polster: "We improvised a lot on set with Arieh. I also did a lot of physical training. When you present as a girl, you also start to get into a girl’s mindset. By seeing myself with extensions, make-up and heels, I managed to slip right into character."
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