20
ISSUE 108 / 2018
FILM
Vega plays Marina, a resilient transgender
woman faced with an escalating series of
hardships and injustices in the aftermath
of her older boyfriend Orlando's
passing. With Orlando's unexpected
death arousing hostility and suspicion
in his immediate family and the local
authorities, Lelio's feature can be read
as a piercing review of the stigma faced
by trans men and women in our current
times.
While most people in today's society
will display a basic level of tolerance
and courtesy towards trans people, the
drama reveals how concealed prejudices
still rise to the surface in times of heavy
emotion. Orlando's family even forbids
Marina from coming to the wake of the
man she loved - and events take a violent
turn when she shows up regardless.
In trying to summarise the difficulties
faced by an entire group of people in
today's society, the specifics of Marina's
story can feel a little underdeveloped.
Marina's feelings for Orlando, in
particular, would have benefited from
some fleshing out, given how crucial
their shared emotional connection is to
her journey. All the same, Lelio and Vega
deliver a vibrant, compellingly crafted
picture of a headstrong outsider, allowing
us to share in her grief, loneliness and
outrage as she pushes forward into what
are hopefully better times.
A FANTASTIC WOMAN OFFERS A
VIBRANT PORTRAYAL OF A TRANS
WOMAN'S STRUGGLES
Sebastián Lelio's film A Fantastic Woman carries viewers
along on a wave of empathy helped in no small part by
a layered and riveting performance from Chilean actress
Daniela Vega.