the kind of movie that mistakes leering, gawking and cynically attaining sympathy through relentlessly inflicting trauma & shock horror for empathy. please listen to trans critics.

Cisgender audiences are confronted by an inescapable irony as they watch “Girl,” the arrestingly empathetic debut from Belgian filmmaker Lukas Dhont. Few narrative dramas (if any) have more sensitively explored the nuances of growing up transgender, the bravery required to transition, and the struggle for self-acceptance that can motivate or define that process. Likewise, few narrative dramas (if any) have more palpably distilled the pain of being deadnamed, the humiliation of being reduced to your body, and the cruelty of being misrepresented as something that you’re not.

So how do we, who can only share in such experiences second-hand, square all that with the fact that the lead character — a 16-year-old ballerina who’s impatiently waiting for her gender-confirmation surgery — is played by a cisgender male actor?

READ THE FULL REVIEW ON INDIEWIRE

The more I think about this the more I detest it. Do we really need films about trans people in 2018 which constitute pure misery and self-hatred? This movie isn't interested in shining a light on what trans teens struggle with, it just wants to beat its trans character into the ground so cis people who've never met or spoken to a trans person, never really taken an interest in what it's like to be trans beyond the plot outline bullet points of gender dysmorphia and transition, can gasp and tut in muted, liberal shock (of which I, too, have been guilty). Nearly every review out of Cannes stressed the film's "empathetic" nature but almost all I could see was that being confused for sheer, patronising pity.

The movie focuses on Lara, a transgender girl. She goes to school, ballet, and has a normal home life. She lies to her dad about things and faces all kinds of trauma. The performance was subdued. I felt like I wanted more from the story, but it was a pretty decent slice of life film.

Vegan alert:
-Lara's brother was cracking eggs.
-Lara cooks a meat dish for the New Year's Eve meal.

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

pride month 2020 • thirty days, thirty movies 🏳️‍🌈

okay I don’t have much to say on this besides the fact that those girls are the worst and I anticipated the final cut long before it happened and not in a good way, like “oh no she’s really gonna do it” 

was this queer? yes but in the wrong way because if trans people tell that the representation sucks, then it sucks and it’s a wasted opportunity

Wow, what an incredible film, it was so emotional and I was absolutely captivated. The acting was just superb, I'm not sure how else to describe it watching each event unfold and Lara's outward reaction when everyone was looking and then how it would often all change when people weren't there. The dancing was just beautiful to watch, so much effort goes in to that, I was just in awe. I'm not sure I have a bad word to say about it honestly.

unrelenting in its depiction of suffering, humiliation and pain, this is a genuinely traumatising watch which only further drives home the message that white cis men should no longer be granted the authority to tell the stories of marginalised people. netflix currently has this in a section of 'critically acclaimed LGBTQ movies' and i would strongly discourage fellow members of our community - or indeed anyone - from watching it during pride month.

movies about transitions are very important; it shows how differently all of them are especially in such a young age, and ths struggles with body dysmorphia. but does every movie has to be a white privileged character?? and why can’t they cast TRANS ACTOR FOR FUCKS SAKE
anyway i think Girl is kinda basic

3.5

problemático kk só não vou falar muito mal pq sei que foi inspirado numa história real
tem muitas cenas desnecessárias... esse filme é só um grande gatilho para as pessoas trans q assistirem 
no meu ver, foi feito para pessoas cis.

Madonna se l’è dura essere trans.
Affascinante quanto una regia sporca riesca a raccontare una vicenda così intima e delicata.
Bravissimo lui/lei protagonista.