Movie Review A Fantastic Woman

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2017 - Spoiler alerts An astonishing and very moving film from Chile. It deals with a transexual woman's struggles against bigotry and prejudice following the sudden death of her older boyfriend. The central performance by Trans actress and singer Daniella Vega is spell-binding. When Marina Vidal's lover collapses, dying as she gets him to the hospital, she finds herself accused of murder due to the severe bruises he has on his body (caused when his stroke causes him to fall down the stairs). Worse, the man's family ostracise her completely, evicting her from her boyfriend's home at short notice, claiming back the pet dog he gave Marina as a present, and refusing to allow her to attend his wake and funeral services, which she gatecrashes in conviction that she has every right to closure in her own grief. It is a beautiful movie centred on Marina's quiet, almost stoic courage, her flights of fantasy escapism, and quiet smouldering determination to make her peace with the deceased no matter what. The stark, direct honesty of the central performance gained the movie a deserved best Foreign Language Oscar, Unforgettable viewing. Arthur Chappellmuch