Directed by Sebastian Lelio and written by Lelio and Gonzalo Maza, Una mujer fantastica (A Fantastic Woman) is the story of a transgender woman whose lover had just died as she is accused of being involved in his death while dealing with her own identity. The film is a look into a transgender woman dealing with loss as well as deal with her own identity as a transgender while trying to maintain her work as a singer and waitress. Starring Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes. Una mujer fantastica is a rapturous and evocative film from Sebastian Lelio.
A man falls ill as his transgender lover tries to save him by going to the hospital only to die with many of the man’s loved ones and family asking many questions about what had happened. That is pretty much the premise of the film as a whole as it play into this transgender woman who is vilified by those who don’t really know her other than the fact that she’s a lover to this much older man. The film’s screenplay by Sebastian Lelio and Gonzalo Maza takes place in the span of a few days from a night where it opens with a typical day between Marina (Daniela Vega) and Orlando (Francisco Reyes) as they go out and return to his apartment whom the former had just moved in only for the night to end tragically with Orlando’s death. The rest of the story revolves around Marina being asked about what happened where a police investigator, Orlando’s ex-wife Sonia (Aline Kuppenheim), and others ask about what happened to Orlando thinking there’s some foul play. Adding to Marina’s own issues is her identity with some are in disbelief that Orlando would choose to spend the rest of his life with someone like Marina with Sonia asking her to not attend Orlando’s wake and funeral.
Lelio’s direction is largely straightforward in terms of its visuals where it is shot on location in Santiago, Chile as it’s a place that is vibrant and more open to new things yet there are those who question some of these new ideas and new identities. There are some wide shots to establish some of the locations including scenes that play into the world that Marina lives in that is vibrant that includes a restaurant that is next to a children’s amusement park. Lelio’s usage of close-ups and medium shots play into the drama that includes a police examination that proves to be a horrific moment of humiliation for Marina as well as a scene where Orlando’s son Bruno (Nicolas Saavedra) tries to bully her with a few of his friends in a form of physical abuse. Lelio doesn't aim for anything stylish other than the ghostly presence of Orlando following Marina who is reminded of her love for him no matter how much people give her a lot of shit. All of which forces Marina to show that she is a woman as well uncover some truths about Orlando that his family is forced to deal with. Overall, Lelio crafts a ravishing yet mesmerizing film about a transgender woman dealing with the passing of her lover.
Cinematographer Benjamin Echazarreta does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of low-key lights for interior scenes at night including a nightclub as well as some of the exterior scenes at night. Editor Soledad Salfate does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward in terms of playing up to the drama as well as bits of suspense as it relates to a key that Marina is carrying that belongs to Orlando. Production designer Estefania Larrain does fantastic work with the look of Orlando’s apartment as well as the look of some of the places that Marina goes to. Costume designer Muriel Parra does amazing work with the costumes as it includes much of the casual clothing that Marina wears including a few dresses for what she wears whenever she sings.
Sound editor Daniel Iribarren and sound designer Tina Laschke do superb work with the sound as it play into the sound of a club as well as some of the locations as it add to the dramatic elements of the film. The film’s music by Nani Garcia and Matthew Herbert is wonderful for its mixture of folk and woodwind classical music to play into the drama while its soundtrack feature an array of classical and opera music as well as music from Aretha Franklin, the Alan Parsons Project, and Hector Lavoe.
The casting by Alejandra Alaff and Moira Miller is terrific as it include some notable small roles from Alejandro Goic as a doctor for the police, Nestor Cantillana as Marina’s brother-in-law Gaston, Trinidad Gonzalez as Marina’s sister Wanda, Antonia Zegers as Marina’s fellow waitress friend Alessandra, and Amparo Noguera in a superb performance as the police investigator Adriana Cortes who is suspicious about Marina as she wants to know if there really was foul play involved. Nicolas Saavedra is fantastic as Orlando’s son Bruno as someone who doesn’t like Marina as he wants to have his dad’s apartment all to himself. Aline Kuppenheim is excellent as Orlando’s ex-wife Sonia as a woman that is kind to Marina as well as grateful for Marina to bring some of Orlando’s things despite her issues as well as asking Marina not to attend Orlando’s wake.
Luis Gnecco is brilliant as Orlando’s brother Gabo as the one person in Orlando’s family that is sympathetic towards Marina as he tries to help her as well as mediate between her and the rest of the family. Francisco Reyes is amazing as Orlando as middle-aged man who is Marina’s lover as he doesn’t appear much in the film but other than someone who is caring as well as be a ghostly figure for Marina. Finally, there’s Daniela Vega in a tremendous performance as Marina as this transgender waitress/singer that is dealing with loss but also questions about what happened to Orlando prompting her to deal with issues of her identity and the prejudice she faces forcing her to not take shit anyone as well as be treated with some respect as it is a true breakthrough performance.
Una mujer fantastica is a spectacular film from Sebastian Lelio that features an incredible performance from Daniela Vega. Along with its ensemble cast, study of gender identity, gorgeous visuals, and a hypnotic music soundtrack. The film is truly a marvel in its approach to a transgender woman trying to defend her identity as well as the love for the man who gave her so much. In the end, Una mujer fantastica is a sensational film from Sebastian Lelio.
Sebastian Lelio Films: (The Sacred Family) – (Christmas (2009 film)) – (The Year of the Tiger) – Gloria (2013 film) - (Disobedience (2017 film)) – (Gloria Bell)
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Sebastian Lelio and written by Lelio and Gonzalo Maza, Gloria is the story of a 58-year old divorcee who is trying to start a new life after marriage as she meets and falls for a man slightly older than her. It’s a film that explores a woman trying to start her life over as well as take part in a relationship with a man who wants to be with her but has attachments towards his own family. Starring Paulina Garcia, Sergio Hernandez, Diego Fontecilla, Fabiola Zamora, Alejandro Goic, and Coca Guazzini. Gloria is an evocative and compelling film from Sebastian Lelio.
The film follows the titular character (Paulina Garcia) who has been divorced for years and is nearing toward her 60s as she is trying to socialize while working and visit her two adult children. It’s a film that explores a woman trying to take the next step of her life where she would meet a man who is older than her as they would embark on a relationship but is often troubled by his needy family whom he’s divorced from. The film’s screenplay by Sebastian Lelio and Gonzalo Maza would follow Gloria as she is just trying to find someone to be with in her life as her two adult children are already having families of their own as her visits are welcoming despite the little time they have for her. When she meets Rodolfo (Sergio Hernandez) at a club that is often attended by people in her age group as they would get to know each other and begin a relationship. It’s a moment that would give Gloria something she needs in her life as she has to contend with a noisy neighbor who lives above her apartment as well as the fact that she’s getting older and is dealing with glaucoma.
In her time with Rodolfo, she wonders why he hasn’t said anything about her to his two daughters and his ex-wife as it causes confusion where she would invite him to a birthday party for her son Pedro (Diego Fontecilla) which is also attended by her daughter Ana (Fabiola Zamora), her ex-husband Daniel (Alejandro Goic), and his new wife Luz (Coca Guazzini). It’s a moment during the second act where Gloria realizes Rodolfo’s own big flaw as he isn’t just his devotion to his family but also in not telling Gloria about it. He tries to make up for it in the film’s third act for an outing with just the two of them but it becomes clear that Gloria’s need for companionship is much harder to get as it relates to Rodolfo and his family who aren’t able to take care of themselves.
Lelio’s direction is definitely straightforward in a lot of ways to explore the life of this woman trying to start the next stage of her life. Shot on various locations around Santiago, Chile as well as the Vina del Mar for the film’s third act, Lelio would definitely create something intimate to follow Gloria throughout the course of her journey as the film begins with her at a discotheque which is filled with middle-aged attendees dancing to disco, salsa, or anything they can dance to. It’s a place where Gloria could feel young though she feels old at the same time considering the people who are there as Lelio would use medium shots and close-ups for these scenes as well as scenes of Gloria at her home or with Rodolfo. While there are a few wide shots in the film that include a shot of a student protest in the background as Gloria is walking on the streets of Santiago in the foreground. It all play into Gloria feeling sort of detached from what Chile is becoming as she would talk with friends who don’t fit in with the values of today’s youth though they’re aware of what they can contribute.
Still, Lelio would follow Gloria in her need for companionship as there are moments of intense sexuality between her and Rodolfo as it play into their desperation to be together without any distractions. Especially in the third act at Vina del Mar where Gloria and Rodolfo are having their time with each other but it’s the latter that has become a problem forcing Gloria to see if there is a future for herself and Rodolfo. It forces her to see the reality of her life which she is aware of but also the flaws in Rodolfo in being there for a family that is always attached to him. Overall, Lelio creates a mesmerizing yet intriguing film about a 58-year old woman’s desire to find companionship to cope with her lonely life.
Cinematographer Benjamin Echazarreta does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography for the way the discotheque is presented with its lights as well as some of the interiors of the hotel/casino at Vina del Mar and for some of the scenes shot at night. Editors Sebastian Lelio and Soledad Salfate do excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts to play into some of the dramatic moments as well as straight cuts to play into some of the conversations between Gloria and Rodolfo. Production designer Marcela Urivi and art director Marcela Uribi do fantastic work with the look of the apartment home that Gloria lives in as well as some of the places she goes including the discotheque.
Costume designer Eduardo Castro does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with a few designer-like clothes that Gloria would wear for a night out on the town. Sound editor David Mantecon does superb work with the sound as it play into some of the places the characters go to including the sound of the apartment noises from Gloria’s neighbor. Music supervisor Juan Ignacio Correa does wonderful work with the film’s soundtrack as a lot of the music in the film is played on locations as it is a mixture of disco, pop, classical, salsa, and world music as it include music from Donna Summers, Umberto Tozzi, Adan Jodorowsky, Gustav Mahler, and Antonio Carlos Jobim.
The casting by Moira Miller is terrific as it feature some notable small roles from Luz Jimenez as Gloria’s part-time housemaid Victoria, Eyal Meyer as Ana’s Swedish boyfriend Theo, Coca Guazzini as Daniel’s new wife Luz, Alejandro Goic as Gloria’s ex-husband Daniel, Fabiola Zamora as Gloria’s yoga-instructor daughter Ana, and Diego Fontecilla as Gloria’s son Pedro. Sergio Hernandez is amazing as Rodolfo as a former naval officer who is coping with the divorce of his wife and his desire for freedom from his adult daughters as he falls for Gloria but he is troubled by the fact that his ex-wife and daughters need him constantly. Finally, there’s Paulina Garcia in an incredible performance as the titular character as a 58-year old woman who is trying to find companionship as she’s approaching the age where she can be called a senior citizen as it’s a very graceful and restrained performance as well as filled with some sensuality as someone who still has something to offer as it is truly a great performance.
Gloria is a phenomenal film from Sebastian Lelio that features Paulina Garcia in a tremendous performance in the titular role. Along with a great supporting cast, a captivating story on aging, loneliness, and companionship plus a fun music soundtrack. It’s a film that explore what a woman will do to remain as vital in her old age proving that age is nothing but a number. In the end, Gloria is a sensational film from Sebastian Lelio.
Sebastian Lelio Films: (The Sacred Family) - (Christmas (2009 film)) - (The Year of the Tiger) - A Fantastic Woman - (Disobedience (2017 film)) - (Gloria Bell)
© thevoid99 2017
