Thursday, July 27, 2006

MIFF Day 2: A SOAP

MIFF said: "Sparse and smoothly executed, this first feature for Pernille Fischer Christensen is anything but sudsy slush, as the title may suggest. Fischer Christensen shows admirable circumspection and a gently humourous touch with a script that could easily have erred towards melodrama. The film is shot in warm and colour-rich 16mm stock, with largely mobile hand-held camera movements."

I say: A straight film that deals with queer issues, this gentle exploration of the burgeoning relationship between a straight woman and her pre-op M2F neighbour was a definite treat. Although more focussed on Charlotte (Trine Dyrholme) and her fear, confusion and emotional frigidity than her sometimes self-hating neighbour Veronica (David Dencik) , the film's balance of drama and comedy was successfully navigated, with the different aspects of the story harmonising rather than conflicting with one another. The inclusion of episodic elements featuring an all-knowing narrator heightened the mood of the film, and playfully alluded to the TV melodrama that was Veronica's staple diet. In a cameo role, Elsebeth Steentoft as Veronica's loving but confused mother was superb.

In summary: A touching, entertaining, softly-paced trans love story. See it.

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