A Fantastic Woman (Mini Review)

The worst time to have someone close to you pass away, I think, is when you’re starting to grow close. You have to question yourself about said relationship. Are you close enough to be a part of the following proceedings? Were you close? How does the family view it? All of that can be tough but if your transgender, it can be really tough.

This is the focus of the Oscar-nominated film from Chile by Sebastián Lellio. It follows Marina Vidal (played by actual transgender actress Daniela Vega) as she has to deal with the exclusion from formal proceedings of her partner and the possible criminal proceedings that follow, which undoubtedly take place because she is brave enough to be who she is.

I think the Oscar nomination (for foreign language film) for this film is deserved and that Vega should’ve got an nomination too but I will admit this film does seem to be covering ground well covered before. A couple involving a member of the LGBT community having to deal with the family after one's death only to be turned away is not anything new. Thankfully Lelio’s technical direction does this story justice to bring us one of the finest chapters in this sub-genre. His brilliance in conveying the inner emotional turmoil of Vidal through razor-sharp editing and scene transitions is some of the best of the year. Lelio and DoP Echazarreta do a great job of never fetishising Vega as a woman and they aren’t afraid to express her raw emotions. They also bring those intimate feelings to the visions that Marina Vida has throughout the film.

Along with Vicky Krieps in Phantom Thread, Daniela Vega is the other performance that should’ve got some Oscar attention. Her ability to invite compassion from the audience rather than forcing it upon us is easily a highlight of the performance. At times she is quite passive as if she’s been through, I’m sure Vega has in real life, and when she decides to retaliate she earns it. When she does retaliate it’s not just anger or an attempt at revenge/redemption. It's her moving forward and wanting to be left alone to live her life just like every other transwoman.

Lellio’s directing is what elevates the film beyond another LGBTQI story to a relevant and interesting story with subtle technical work that brings nuance to the film. Cutting to an empty seat in a car to point out that someone should be there but isn’t is not easy but editor Soledad Salfate hits the beat perfectly. And, not just that one, the editing of two shots together between scenes perfectly sums up the previous scene and propel us forward. The cinematography also brings plenty of life to interior scenes. Mainly a sauna, and dance club in which a fantasy sequence that captures her state of mind but not overstating it.

I think it’s great to see a foreign “trans film” do well on the international stage (and from Chile at that) and A Fantastic Woman deserves the recognition. However, I can’t help but feel the narrative in this film has been covered before in homosexual films and this film is just changing its narrative to suit its main character. Thankfully Sebastián Lelio uses some creative and powerful filmmaking to more than makeup for its lack of originality in the narrative department.

Overall Score: 8/10

What did you think of this film?

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A Fantastic Woman is now playing in select cinemas.

Director: Sebastián Lelio

Writers: Sebastián Lelio & Gonzalo Maza

Starring: Daniela Vega,Luis Gnecco, Aline Küppenheim and Francisco Reyes

Cinematography: Benjamín Echazarreta

Music: Matthew Herbert

Editor: Soledad Salfate