Different for Girls

Missed this first time round, but unintentionally caught a late night/early hours TV airing in the UK. Steve Mackintosh sustains a serious dramatic presence and role as Kim against the heavily scripted comedic/stereotype 'unreformed male' buffoonery of the friend/partner Paul Prentice played by Rupert Graves. Although at times the dynamic of the two styles gives an uneven feel to the whole narrative, the underlying point of apparent complete contrasts, but underlying and overlapping commonality of involvement and feeling is well made. Some of the scenes are intensely moving, particularly those in the police station when Kim is facing arrest and conviction and is placed alone in a cell, uncertain of whether she will face the immediate unwelcome company of another unknown male cellmate, and/or eventual consignment to a male prison. This is hardly comedy, certainly real life drama, and contains the essence of real tragedy. Other scenes in the film evoke similar high tensions in emotional colour and reading.

Overall delivery was a little uneven, but well worth viewing again. Would be worth a full 'in-line drama' remake of the theme, as other commentators have also hinted. A good attempt at a very difficult subject which manages to hit the right emotional responses without actually falling off the tightrope between banality and exploitation.

In the opening scene of Different for Girls, Karl's boarding-school classmates are tormenting him for his effeminate nature. To his rescue comes friend and protector, Paul. Roll the opening credits, and flash to the next scene, 16 years in the future. It's the scene of a minor traffic accident and two of the individuals involved appear familiar to one another, but something is amiss. Paul, now a punkish motorcycle courier is one, but the other is demure, stylish, female.... its Karl. Paul and Karl (now Kim thanks to sex-change surgery) finally recognize one another and begin a relationship that slowly evolves to romance. The movie essentially chronicles the emotional journey of this odd-couple; and it's done with the proper mix of humor and drama. Well worth the rental.

Simple (if that's the right word) British tale of a hot headed rebel who meets up with an old school chum who's now a transsexual.

The script as filmed is almost (but not quite) as cloying as a Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks vehicle: it never really panders to the love story and it sacks trite 'witticisms' for honest language but it has just as faux-romantic of an ending as You've Got Mail or some other bit of schmaltz. However, the riveting performances by its leads help lift this film high above any mainstream pandering mush.

Rupert Graves has a high-voltage sexuality and never slips in his characterization of Paul; it's so common for actors to give some kind of Kabuki-like performance when playing volatility but he's amazingly real.

Steven Mackintosh is a revelation as Kim and his heartbreaking nuances capture an inner struggle between the mind and the heart with wonderful simplicity.

Saskia Reeves (perfect in Antonia & Jane) and Neil Dudgeon also stand out as the married couple who Kim turns to for support.

While far from being a great film, it trumps many, many, MANY other movies that try to be honest and believable in their depiction of gay or transsexual romance.

What a brave and unusual romantic comedy. Thank God the BBC is still open-minded enough for such projects, which are not only important, but ultimately wonderfully entertaining.

At the core of the boy-meets-girl, who used to be one of his mates at school, now transsexual, love story is Steven Mackintosh, who portrays Karl-now-Kim with such dignity and style that this film never feels sticky or cumbersome, as one might fear going into it.

Rupert Graves plays the bad-boy "Prentice" with such charm that one thoroughly understands why Kim allows her new-found, quiet life to be turned upside down. He shows Kim that finding the right gender doesn't necessarily make you a whole person...That comes from conviction and caring. It requires passion - something he's full of and is able to rekindle in his old schoolmate. And who knows...maybe she'll get him to change his socks daily!

Thoroughly charming!

Love, in Different for Girls, broke all boundaries. It went past the idea of straight or gay and went directly into the idea that two people can fall in love no matter what consequences or hurdles life may have awaiting for them. It went beyond the sexual parameters set forth in most films and instead lied them out on the table for the world to see. The was a very real love story. In fact, I would say it was one of the more true stories that I have seen on the screen for a very long time. You could see the chemistry, you could see the insecurity, you could see the beginnings of a beautiful relationship and it was perfect. You know the unsure feelings that you have when you first begin a relationship, the hesitancy, the butterflies, the stepping stones . well, they were all demonstrated in this film. I cannot speak enough of how real and true this film was. It confirmed my belief that you do not need to have the clichéd, pronounced roles of male and female to have a beautiful love story, all you need are two people and a heart that needs to be found.

The acting was decent. There could have been a bit more passion between the two, but I am not complaining. I completely understood what they wanted, where they wanted to go, and what they needed to do to achieve it. One of the most powerful scenes of this film was when Kim undresses and they make love. For the first time in cinema history, it was love and not sex. They did it to better their relationship, to say to each other that they were comfortable with their decisions. They wanted to say "I love you" in the best way possible. While no words were spoken, you were able to glance into their minds and hearts, and it takes very good acting to allow this to happen. They even demonstrate this even further when Prentice lays for a while after talking about what just happened and he ponders over what to do now he had no job or money and nowhere to live. Together they work on a solution. There is no "me" in this relationship. This is when Prentice decides to finally make his true feelings known in a very bold, yet beautiful fashion. You will have to see the film to experience the true emotion.

Overall, I was very impressed with this film. I loved the boundaries that it broke, again .. the truth that it spoke, and the realistic story that it presented. For those that will look at this review and get quinsy in their stomachs, I ask you think . what is so different between this story and most of the recycled Hollywood garbage that we watch on a weekly basis? My answer is nothing. If I have to watch a man and a woman kiss for twenty minutes on screen, I sure as anything want to see other parts of our culture as well. This was a beautiful film that will be used as a stepping stone for other films of this nature. While I cannot say that it was perfect, it was a start. I cannot wait to see where this film will take us in the future. I suggest this film to anyone that is looking to see a fresh story on a very old tale. Beautiful and amazing!!

Grade: *** out of *****