Girl

Girl is the type of movie that will hopefully open your eyes and heart to the little known challenges that face someone caught in the wrong body. I fell in love with Lana almost immediately because of her sensitive, kind, passionate character. She brings you deep into her world of the pain it takes to hide her unwanted features with such elegance and composure. Even when egged on by fellow dancers she holds in her pain in hope of acceptance. Victor Polster is brilliant as the graceful and beautiful Lana. The determination, blood, sweat and tears it takes to be a ballerina is mind boggling but for Lara it is a passion she is not willing to give up on no matter what it takes.

'Girl' was a sensation in Cannes and received rave reviews in the Flemish press. This film is about a teenage girl who wants to be a ballet dancer, but is born with the body of a boy. It is based on a real life story about a transgender ballet dancer, who has publicly endorsed the film.

The film shows the anguish the girl feels about being stuck in the wrong body. She almost can't wait to get female curves. Although she looks very feminine and has the support of everyone around her, the whole process causes severe emotional problems. Moreover, her ballet classes are extremely hard and she isn't exactly an excellent pupil.

The film succeeds in showing what a girl like her has to go through. But nevertheless, I was a bit dissapointed after having seen the film. Apart from the transgender theme, there is not much moving the story forward from a dramatic point of view. A lot of scenes show the ballet classes, and after a while they don't offer anything new to the story. The same goes for the conversations between the girl and the medical team. The doctors encourage her to be patient, she reacts by not saying much in reply. In order to add any dramatic evolution into the screenplay, there is a very shocking incident at the very end. But to me, this felt forced, out of place and overdone. (This scene is, by the way, not based on a real life event).

The lead actor, Victor Polster, is in a way perfect for the role because he has the right androgyn looks. He is also convincing as a shy teenager, not feeling comfortable with a lot of things in life. But on the other hand I found his acting a bit restrained and one-dimensional, he showed little emotion.

The film received criticism for being too obsessed with the physical aspects of being a transgender, and not enough with the emotional side of it. I think this is beside the point, because the only question that really should matter is: is this a good film? My answer to that question is: yes, but not as good as the hype around it makes us believe.

The story about a 16 year old girl named Lara who is born inside a boy's body. She dreams of being a ballerina and works hard for her career ambitions while also undergoing the process of gender confirmation surgery. The central performance by Victor Polster is astonishing; it feels really transcendent to the point where Lara is real and this feels like an intimate documentary. Her psychological and physical struggles are heartbreaking and I couldn't wait to see her succeed. It's beautifully filmed which accompanies its soulful understanding of being human fantastically. It's a tough watch in places but it's an incredibly involving experience and a perfect character study

Following a year or so in the life of a teenager and the dilemmas faced as they struggle being somebody they're not. Sincerely and genuinely presented, although you will have to scrape your eyebrows off the ceiling toward the end as life's frustrations become all too overwhelming.

I see a lot of gender prejudice here from folks who demand that others not be so prejudiced about gender. It doesn't matter whether young Victor Poster is cisgendered, transgendered, or androgynous, the performance in this role is nuanced, vulnerable, and entirely believable. I am shocked that people would criticize either Victor's sexuality or gender identification in their evaluation of the film. Victor is not a poster-child... victor is acting. And doing it beautifully.

Others seem concerned that the film oversimplifies a complex issue. But when you are a 15 year old girl in the wrong body, it is kind of simple. It's one girl's story and experience and pain and fear, not a testament to the entire world of being transgendered. You simply cannot try to cover all issues in one person's story. This is not a story about the general "truth" of being transgendered, it is the story, as titled, of a girl. One girl. One girl's experience.

I felt extremely moved by the end. I hope others appreciate this as a film... a story... and not try to judge it as some sort of manifesto or expect something more of it than it should be.

If we want to normalize all human experience, we need to stop demanding more from projects like this than we would of any other story of personal trauma or tragedy. Every person is unique, every person's life is their own and should stand on its own merits rather than being obligated to represent an entire diverse group.