A
Fantastic Woman
(2017/Sony Blu-ray)
Picture:
B Sound: B Extras: C Film: B
Marina
(Daniela Vega) is a transgender woman. Marian and Orlando (Francisco
Reyes) are in love, and her lover is Orlando (despite being old
enough to be her father) but suddenly, Orlando passes away. Mariana
is left with with not only dealing with the lost of Orlando, but also
Orlando's family who makes it clear they do not want Marina at the
funeral and that 'she' will not inherit anything. Left with nothing,
Marina not only must deal with a hostile family but must also deal
with legal pressures from the police and government in Sebastian
Lelio's A
Fantastic Woman
(2017).
To
Orlando, Marina is a beautiful woman and his lover, but to Orlando's
family Marina is perversion and disgrace to Orlando memory. After
Orlando's death, they want Marina out of their lives as soon as
possible, and while they pretend be civil, Marina is treated more
like freak of nature than of a woman. Meanwhile the police is under
pressure from either pressing charges to violating transgender
rights. Not only losing her lover and home and having no time to
grieve, Marina continues to hold her head up and not have anyone look
down on her.
This
film show some of the life, drama, challenges and tragedy of
transgender people. There is still not much protection or rights for
transgender people, and even when there is, most people only play lip
service to them. If this was a 'normal' person/woman it is clear how
they would be treated differently. The result is a very convincing
drama.
The
1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image is a colorful-enough HD
shoot that is fine, of not extraordinary, but fitting the narrative,
as is the dialogue-based, well-recorded DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1
Spanish lossless mix. The combination is competent, professional and
just fine. Extras include making of the film, feature length audio
commentary with the director and trailers.
-
Rocky Chiang
