Girl

I'm not even close to being a liberal and this is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. It's about being a human being. The father's love is breathtaking.

First things first: I really enjoyed the movie. Do I think its great? No. But I actually thought the ongoing ballet metaphor (and all the discipline and equilibrium that is involved in classical training) was powerful in showing the development of an "unbalanced" psyche that is trying desperately to cling on to whatever "normal" it can construct. Although certainly repetitive I thought it was inspired,, rather than boring. I also appreciated the non-preachy nature of most of the film, thus I rated it how I rated it. Having now read some of the reviews, I do understand possible objections to the depiction of the characters transition, and how it is shown. But, as in other instances with many other films for many different reasons, I don't know enough to judge. I will be more aware in the future, so for me both film and reviews were very useful.

'Girl' was a sensation in Cannes and received rave reviews in the Flemish press. This film is about a teenage girl who wants to be a ballet dancer, but is born with the body of a boy. It is based on a real life story about a transgender ballet dancer, who has publicly endorsed the film. The film shows the anguish the girl feels about being stuck in the wrong body. She almost can't wait to get female curves. Although she looks very feminine and has the support of everyone around her, the whole process causes severe emotional problems. Moreover, her ballet classes are extremely hard and she isn't exactly an excellent pupil. The film succeeds in showing what a girl like her has to go through. But nevertheless, I was a bit dissapointed after having seen the film. Apart from the transgender theme, there is not much moving the story forward from a dramatic point of view. A lot of scenes show the ballet classes, and after a while they don't offer anything new to the story. The same goes for the conversations between the girl and the medical team. The doctors encourage her to be patient, she reacts by not saying much in reply. In order to add any dramatic evolution into the screenplay, there is a very shocking incident at the very end. But to me, this felt forced, out of place and overdone. (This scene is, by the way, not based on a real life event). The lead actor, Victor Polster, is in a way perfect for the role because he has the right androgyn looks. He is also convincing as a shy teenager, not feeling comfortable with a lot of things in life. But on the other hand I found his acting a bit restrained and one-dimensional, he showed little emotion. The film received criticism for being too obsessed with the physical aspects of being a transgender, and not enough with the emotional side of it. I think this is beside the point, because the only question that really should matter is: is this a good film? My answer to that question is: yes, but not as good as the hype around it makes us believe.

"Girl" is (despite the title) a Belgian 105-minute movie from 2018, very recent, and the country's official submission to the Oscars in the foreign language film category. Last year they went with big names Exarchopoulos and Schoenaerts without a lot of success, so this time they are taking a completely different route. We'll see how far they get. It doesn't look too bad at all with the awards recognition the film already received, especially at the Cannes Film Festival. Huge success for director Lukas Dhont who is also one of the writers. In the center of it all is the title character played by Viktor Polster in his very first career performance. He plays a teenager born as a boy who is in the process of transitioning to being a girl in terms of haircut, whom he showers with at school, but also in terms of the medication he takes. It is a pretty heavy film at times. The scene where all the hot girls discriminate against him is painful to watch. But the real heavy moment is towards the end. I won't go into detail, but it is a scene where I as a male just could not keep watching the screen anymore and that happens like once a year perhaps. Shocking stuff, but I guess it shows that I cared a lot about the protagonist's fate at that point. I think the BJ scene is also kinda tough, but this one could have gone all kinds of wrong to be honest and looking at how well it works in the overall picture, it becomes very clear that this is a really well-crafted movie in my opinion. There are no weaknesses. the lead actor is strong yes, but so is the supporting actor who plays his father and he probably not getting nowhere near the credit he should be getting. Minor scenes of discrimination like the clumsy teacher, the father entering the room or the little brother saying the boy's old name add additional quality and controversy. Oh yeah, and lets not forget about the ballet plot. Actually, there are so many ballet scenes in here that people with an interest in said activity can watch the movie for that reason alone I guess. It hurt seeing his bleeding feet. Finally, I would like to mention the very first scene, when we see the main character put earrings in and the father enters the bathroom and asks what the hell he is doing. Initially, you think he refers to him dressing up as a girl, but soon you know better. The father accepted his son's errrr.. daughter's decision and could not be any more tolerant. This is not a film like so many other LBGT movies that relies on cheap uninspired displays of discrimination. These displays here create the character. And the environment. And they never feel fake. I am generally fairly critical on the genre, but this one is a success without a doubt. I wonder how deep it will go atg the Oscars, but I have a feeling the last 9 will be the ceiling. Sadly? It is closer to 4 out of 5 than to 2 out of 4 without a doubt. Go watch it if you get the chance and can stomach the violence. Thumbs up.

It is difficult to review this film without referring to the performance and casting of Victor Polster as the Girl the title refers to. Both appear to be quite polarising. There seem to be many reviewers who feel his portrayal was brave, emotive and mature as an adolescent ballet dancer going through a transitionary period in her life in more ways than one: moving to a new school and meeting new people, moving to a different apartment, and, of course, the crux of the film, taking the next step in confirming her gender identity by taking hormones with a view to having gender reassignment surgery in the future. There also appear to be many people, mostly people who identify as either transgender themselves or part of the wider LGBT+ community, who think that the performance and casting is offensive and lacks the nuance that only a real-life transgender actor could bring to the role. Personally, I cannot believe I watched the same film as anyone who thinks that his performance was anything less than exceptional. Ballet as an art-form creates beauty out of pain, patience and practice, and Lara's journey to become a better dancer runs in parallel with her journey to physically become the woman she believes she is. The routine physical exhaustion and bleeding toes she experiences whilst dancing provide a visceral contrast with the emotional challenges of day-to-day living she has to face, such as showering or going to the toilet, whilst living in a body that just doesn't fit. Victor Polster manages to convey these experiences and emotions, showing an intense determination and underlying vulnerability that never spills over into melodrama. The question of whether or not he should have been cast in the role in the first place is moot as it is evident that he was up to the task. Morally I do not see any reason why a non-trans actor cannot play a trans role if they have the ability to do so, in the same way that an actor does not need to have kids to play the role of a father or mother. I believe that he got the role on merit, in the same way that Daniela Vega got the lead role in A Fantastic Woman, because they were the best person for the job. Where the film falls slightly flat, however, is that there are no other fully fleshed out characters apart from Lara, and although the film focuses around Lara's pain and experiences in the here and now, there isn't always a clear motivation for her actions. It isn't even clear why she is so keen on becoming a dancer in the first place. I'd like to have seen more of the father and younger brother and how their lives were affected by Lara's situation. Ultimately it is a painful portrait of a young woman fighting to be who she wants to be that could have benefited from widening the scope and delving into the lives of other characters more in order to give more weight to the situations Lara found herself in. I also feel that the ending, although earned and wincingly effective from an emotional standpoint, didn't provide much closure and left the film feeling unresolved. Having said that, I have a suspicion that this was intentional as stories such as these do not have a cut-off point where the transformation is complete and the only resolution is the acceptance that there is none and that the fight must go on. Definitely would recommend it.

Incredible performance of Victor Polster as Lara. Also the other characters were very convincing. The whole movie I was involved and felt empathy for the characters which makes this movie a piece of art.

The best film i have watched in a very long time. The interpretation of Victor Polster is unbelievably good... I felt empathy with Lara from the very first second of the movie till the end.

Saw this film at the Toronto Film Festival 2018.. Went on my own,sat beside a couple in their 80's..They came,because the wife felt it was a story she wanted to understand. It is a story we all need to understand. I see a lot of film,this story and film moved me deeply. The parent child relationship alone offers much to learn from. My very favourite and most. moving experience fron TIFF 2018.Brilliant performances.

I love commercial cinema, especially after a days work and you buy some candy and drink, enjoy the perfect calm setting and than empty your head and come to peace. But once in a while you need to challenge your cinema ambitions. Enrich yourself. Girl is a piece of art. Go and enjoy. It's cinema at its best.