Edit: After reading a later review, I felt the need to make an edit. This is not a movie about fully transitioning members of the community. This is a movie about dual spirit people. People who relate to feminine aspects of their spirit as much or more than the masculine, and express it through cultural norms such as clothing and mannerisms. How much towards the feminine or masculine is a very individual thing. Laurence is quite far to the feminine, but not as far as full transition. I find it sad that so often the people in the trans community who fully transition, who should understand the struggles better than anyone, often cant emphasize with the Laurences of the world. It's often expressed ways such as poor dress, makeup, or lack of hormone use. At it's most extreme, shaming the lack of surgery. I mention it below in my initial review. Gay and trans people have made leaps and bounds in the last 20 years while Laurence's group is still as marginalized as ever, even among their own broader community. (End of edit)
This is another gender exploration film that left me conflicted.
This film has some extremely strong and powerful moments. It is at the height of the film making craft. For the most part it straddles the tenuous line between realism the watchers can relate to, but with the strength of acting and directing that breaths life into ordinary people and makes it viewable on a larger scale.
Unfortunately there are several acts where it breaks away from this realism and enters a more Hollywood pandering mode of film making. Some of it I can see why the director included it, because it truly does reflect the experiences of many in this community. But I saw Laurence as having more in common with a different type of mainstream group...not being a part of the more theatrical group. Yes, he comes from the theatre world, poetry and writing worlds, but also from a very practical teaching world. That was his foundation from what I could tell. Maybe Im projecting too much. In any case I list below the places I feel the director could have edited out to make Laurence and his story more relatable:
1) He liked people who were unusual, but he was living a life where the unusual met the status quo. I am specifically talking about the Rose family of friends. I would have related more to this film if Laurence hadn't entered this world. Yes, these people do exist, and they are very much a part of the LGBTQ community, but that wasn't the community Laurence was trying to break into and gain acceptance from. He wanted to break into every day life as a woman.
2) The scenes where Fred enters a party and meets her future husband also feels out of place in this story. This story started with a truly honest feeling for just under the first half of the run time. This breaks that genuine feel and separated me from the story and the character. Maybe the producers or the studio insisted on these scenes so they could include them into a trailer that would draw more people in. Always possible the director had no choice on including these elements
There is one exception where I feel this surreal scene handling was effective and didn't take me away from the powerful acting and directing...the scene where Fred opens Laurence's book of poetry on the couch and is overwhelmed by a tidal wave of water. This conveyed some true emotion.
3) The beginning scenes of Laurence and Fred in the car where they're making out, and she finds the dark chocolate in the glove compartment. This just felt awkward and a bit over pretentious for the characters. But not a major flaw. And honestly, I think I am projecting here. I'm trying to force a bit the people I wish they were rather than how the director sees them. So take this last point with a grain of salt.
But this leads me into the film I wish this film had been. I think the story is very good. The final moments very powerful. The characters reactions very realistic. But this is not the film real people like Laurence need. A film of hope is needed. One that addresses the extreme challenges faced in this community, as this film does very well, but also gives a pillar of strength. We needed a Fred that went through all these emotions, including at brunch where she breaks, but we also need the Fred from the first half of the film who comes to the realization that they could be strong together, and it was possible to be together. Her final knife in Laurence, where she calls his friends on The Isle of Black freaks, was a massive letdown to those who hope everyday for someone as strong as the Fred in the beginning of the film. A Fred that matches the strength of Laurence. A Fred that doesn't lie and cheat out of sadness for her life as it is. In the end, she's as weak a personality as any extra staring at Laurence in a restaurant or bar. Don't mistake weak personality for weak acting. The actress gives an elite performance. It's a shame for those who don't understand French, since the subtitles do not do her actual words and inflections justice.
In the first half, I thought this might be a film that could be used to help pave the way into someone like Laurence revealing to their significant other their Truth. To prepare their significant other of the emotions that might be encountered, and to see through that into a future together. So many other films of this ilk are dated or farces and demean the trans person and turn them into caricatures of embarrassing proportions. Sadly the films missteps and choice of Fred's direction make this another installment in the many films that end with sorrow to dramatic affect. Yes, there is definitely hope for Laurence and Fred as they make that final break and move on with their lives. But as a film that could have offered so much hope to many of a family life, and warnings/lessons of the challenges involved, this film failed those who need that so much. More than 20 years later and people like Laurence are barely an inch ahead in acceptance as the period of the film. Full trans people and gay people have made leaps and bounds in that time. But sadly, even today, Laurence is still very much a marginal personality.
One reviewer below said people should stop complaining about the movie that was made. And I understand their sentiments, but film after film on this subject (the more serious ones) takes the same direction as this one, we are all just hoping for a film that gives the Laurences of the world some hope one day. And the reason for wishing this one could have been that film is because it starts so strong towards being that perfect film that's needed. It's the one that could have potentially come the closest to providing the hope that no movie in this genre is willing to give past the ones that make trans people look like disney characters. So that's to say that this is a wonderful movie with the story that was told, but if it had taken another direction, it could have been the movie of the century to those most directly affected by Laurence's issues. Yes it serves to educate the public on the issues, but there are many movies out there that manage that. There are no serious movies that take this subject matter to a place where the protagonist is supported to the end. There are some dated and ridiculous ones (Just Like a Woman comes to mind), but those aren't good for people like Laurence who don't want to be seen as ridiculous within their family life.
By the way, to the person who in their review said this director mainly makes movies involving homosexuality, this movie is not about homosexuality at all. One of its strongest points.
One main concern I had with this film has nothing to do with the quality of the film. The translation for the subtitles seems extremely poor in parts. They frequently change the meaning completely when a direct translation would have sufficed, and fit better. I'm a little confused by this since it says the director was involved in the translation. Sometimes a direct translation is not appropriate, but in this case direct translations were often much closer to the actual meaning in French, and would have been more poignant. This was especially glaring on some of the poetry translations. A more direct translation would have often been much nicer than the translations they chose.
This is another gender exploration film that left me conflicted.
This film has some extremely strong and powerful moments. It is at the height of the film making craft. For the most part it straddles the tenuous line between realism the watchers can relate to, but with the strength of acting and directing that breaths life into ordinary people and makes it viewable on a larger scale.
Unfortunately there are several acts where it breaks away from this realism and enters a more Hollywood pandering mode of film making. Some of it I can see why the director included it, because it truly does reflect the experiences of many in this community. But I saw Laurence as having more in common with a different type of mainstream group...not being a part of the more theatrical group. Yes, he comes from the theatre world, poetry and writing worlds, but also from a very practical teaching world. That was his foundation from what I could tell. Maybe Im projecting too much. In any case I list below the places I feel the director could have edited out to make Laurence and his story more relatable:
1) He liked people who were unusual, but he was living a life where the unusual met the status quo. I am specifically talking about the Rose family of friends. I would have related more to this film if Laurence hadn't entered this world. Yes, these people do exist, and they are very much a part of the LGBTQ community, but that wasn't the community Laurence was trying to break into and gain acceptance from. He wanted to break into every day life as a woman.
2) The scenes where Fred enters a party and meets her future husband also feels out of place in this story. This story started with a truly honest feeling for just under the first half of the run time. This breaks that genuine feel and separated me from the story and the character. Maybe the producers or the studio insisted on these scenes so they could include them into a trailer that would draw more people in. Always possible the director had no choice on including these elements
There is one exception where I feel this surreal scene handling was effective and didn't take me away from the powerful acting and directing...the scene where Fred opens Laurence's book of poetry on the couch and is overwhelmed by a tidal wave of water. This conveyed some true emotion.
3) The beginning scenes of Laurence and Fred in the car where they're making out, and she finds the dark chocolate in the glove compartment. This just felt awkward and a bit over pretentious for the characters. But not a major flaw. And honestly, I think I am projecting here. I'm trying to force a bit the people I wish they were rather than how the director sees them. So take this last point with a grain of salt.
But this leads me into the film I wish this film had been. I think the story is very good. The final moments very powerful. The characters reactions very realistic. But this is not the film real people like Laurence need. A film of hope is needed. One that addresses the extreme challenges faced in this community, as this film does very well, but also gives a pillar of strength. We needed a Fred that went through all these emotions, including at brunch where she breaks, but we also need the Fred from the first half of the film who comes to the realization that they could be strong together, and it was possible to be together. Her final knife in Laurence, where she calls his friends on The Isle of Black freaks, was a massive letdown to those who hope everyday for someone as strong as the Fred in the beginning of the film. A Fred that matches the strength of Laurence. A Fred that doesn't lie and cheat out of sadness for her life as it is. In the end, she's as weak a personality as any extra staring at Laurence in a restaurant or bar. Don't mistake weak personality for weak acting. The actress gives an elite performance. It's a shame for those who don't understand French, since the subtitles do not do her actual words and inflections justice.
In the first half, I thought this might be a film that could be used to help pave the way into someone like Laurence revealing to their significant other their Truth. To prepare their significant other of the emotions that might be encountered, and to see through that into a future together. So many other films of this ilk are dated or farces and demean the trans person and turn them into caricatures of embarrassing proportions. Sadly the films missteps and choice of Fred's direction make this another installment in the many films that end with sorrow to dramatic affect. Yes, there is definitely hope for Laurence and Fred as they make that final break and move on with their lives. But as a film that could have offered so much hope to many of a family life, and warnings/lessons of the challenges involved, this film failed those who need that so much. More than 20 years later and people like Laurence are barely an inch ahead in acceptance as the period of the film. Full trans people and gay people have made leaps and bounds in that time. But sadly, even today, Laurence is still very much a marginal personality.
One reviewer below said people should stop complaining about the movie that was made. And I understand their sentiments, but film after film on this subject (the more serious ones) takes the same direction as this one, we are all just hoping for a film that gives the Laurences of the world some hope one day. And the reason for wishing this one could have been that film is because it starts so strong towards being that perfect film that's needed. It's the one that could have potentially come the closest to providing the hope that no movie in this genre is willing to give past the ones that make trans people look like disney characters. So that's to say that this is a wonderful movie with the story that was told, but if it had taken another direction, it could have been the movie of the century to those most directly affected by Laurence's issues. Yes it serves to educate the public on the issues, but there are many movies out there that manage that. There are no serious movies that take this subject matter to a place where the protagonist is supported to the end. There are some dated and ridiculous ones (Just Like a Woman comes to mind), but those aren't good for people like Laurence who don't want to be seen as ridiculous within their family life.
By the way, to the person who in their review said this director mainly makes movies involving homosexuality, this movie is not about homosexuality at all. One of its strongest points.
One main concern I had with this film has nothing to do with the quality of the film. The translation for the subtitles seems extremely poor in parts. They frequently change the meaning completely when a direct translation would have sufficed, and fit better. I'm a little confused by this since it says the director was involved in the translation. Sometimes a direct translation is not appropriate, but in this case direct translations were often much closer to the actual meaning in French, and would have been more poignant. This was especially glaring on some of the poetry translations. A more direct translation would have often been much nicer than the translations they chose.