182. A Deal With The Universe; movie review

A DEAL WITH THE UNIVERSE
Cert 15

90 mins
BBFC advice: Contains stromg language

Can a man really have a baby? Well, yes and no.
A Deal With The Universe highlights a very different type of pregnancy which is undergone by filmmaker Jason Barker.
It is a documentary which is made up of home video diaries and covers more than a decade of the life of him and his partner Tracey.
In its early stages, it deals with Tracey's breast cancer which results in her having a mastectomy. Jason has earlier had both of his breasts removed on his journey from being a woman to a man. Thus, as Tracey says, they have now "gone down from four breasts to one."
The couple demonstrate an admirable determination in battling the cancer and Tracey allows her inner-most turmoil to be recorded by her partner.

However, this trauma is presented as secondary to the catalogue of IVF failures endured by Jason.
A Deal With The Universe has a compelling and possibly unique storyline but lacks quality presentation.
Clearly, much more intimacy is achieved than usual because Jason is chronicling their story with a hand-held camera but the movie lacks structure.
This is particularly evident when it comes to emphasis - for example, more time is spent on discussing the pigeons on the couple's balcony than on the birth of their child.
Jason is matter-of-fact about a gender transformation which was halted halfway through so he could have a baby.
We wanted to know more about his feelings and those of Tracey about him having his breasts removed to look more like a man but then deciding against the final trabsformation op.
Disappointingly, only seconds are dedicated to the birth and nothing at all to the child's upbringing, despite him being what appears to be at least ten years old by now.
If that was for his protection, it would have been apt to have been told.
But much goes unsaid in A Deal With The Universe and that is a shame because the subject matter is fascinating.

Reasons to watch: Incredible true story
Reasons to avoid: Wanders too easily off piste

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? In February 2019, England's most senior family judge invited the Health Secretary to review fertility laws after hearing the case of a trans man unable to be recognised as the father on his child's birth certificate. 

The final word. Jason Barker: "There is something definitely about pregnancy that’s changed me. Changed my relationship with my body. As I mention in the film, I couldn’t hate my body for producing this wonderful thing. It changed my relationship with things that people find feminine. You know traits such as caring, nurturing, it’s a tiny baby and you’re looking after it." Candid magazine

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