Mater natura

Mater Natura opens with an adrenalin-filled mayhem of cross-dressers and transsexuals rehearsing for a play. One of them, a beautiful and alluring post-op called Desiderio, doesn't let her lover Andrea come to rehearsals. She also keeps another of her activities secret from him – a little whoring that helps things financially. Andrea is bronzed eye-candy – 'like Ulysses on horseback' – but he also has a secret . . . in the shape of a fiancée.

The transgender community is very supportive of each other. When things fall apart they are quick to set up an alternative way of 'making people happy'. In the shadow of Mt Vesuvius they set up an organic farm that provides existential and parapsychological counselling (no 'lollipop action', as Desiderio explains to some former clients from the dockyard). The name 'Trans Vesuvio' is ditched in favour of the more respectable Mater Natura.

This is a visually vibrant comedy with some well-delivered songs. A car-wash scene has echoes of Flashdance and the beautiful photography captures the pastels of Italian architecture as well as the kitsch colours of nightclubs. It loses momentum half way through however and the story lacks depth and believability. The organic retreat has luscious produce on tap with no apparent effort, and there is a string of locals coming to seek advice and guidance. In a fully fledged musical, such plot holes would not matter, but Mater Natura never quite gets into its stride past the first rush of enthusiasm, nor has a script strong enough to reach our hearts. There is much pouting and posturing and some visually electric scenes, but insufficient substance for a feature film that wants to pull more audiences than just a camp fan zone.

A love story between a man, a woman and a transvestite make up only half the footage but most of the sensible part of the plot. The best of the footage is a zany transvestite romp, a mix of MTV music and dance, far-out fashion show, queer histrionics, transgender politics, and comical theatrics. The first hour is spent on that with no inkling of where the movie is taking us. Is it only about transvestite pageantry? The sweet and sour of TV and TX life? Some may like it hot, but the average movie goers will only get their bearing when the initially thin plot finally coalesces into a worthy drama. If you are not prejudiced, hunker down and enjoy the wild ride. There is enough comedy to keep you interested. For non-Italian audiences a lot of the verbal humor is unfortunately lost in translation.

At heart a gay film, in both senses of the word, with a pinch of drama and an ample amount of good-natured queer silliness.

Mater Natura refers to a farm that a group of transvestites create and where they take refuge after they are confronted by the harsh reality of prejudice once too many times. In addition to organic agriculture, Mater Natura serves as a center for transgender counselling and a place where the macho man can find (permit me the expression) his inner-faggot.

Who knows Naples can't forget the ancestral importance of the whole place for the Mankind Mythology. And everything in this so well written and simply fascinating tale reminds to Myth. The world of trans sexuality gains the place, the respect, the strenght that deserves and expresses. I liked so much the mood, the style, the tragedy. But why in a so defined story the main part hasn't been performed by a real transsexual? Why the director lost his courage? Even the actress is a good actress, she is not right for the role. The secular history of performances "en travestie" tells us that the paradox must be complete. I really don't understand the choice. A very profound movie disturbed by this ... "castration". Why?

Italian cinema used to be so brave and creative in the times of Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Passolini, Liliana Cavani, etc... But in the 21st century they seem completely unable to do a decent gay themed film.

In the year 2010... we have to bear another movie about a transsexual played by a woman? Total shame, inappropriate and lame!

I'm not a big fan of Almodovar's movies, even less of the inferior imitators.

I don't like to watch some "so called" gay themed films made only to please straight audiences.