And the Oscar goes to…
Well, for those who tuned in on Sunday, March 4 to watch the 90th Annual Academy Awards, it comes as no surprise that A Fantastic Woman (dir. Sebastian Lelio) captured a golden Oscar in the most coveted film award show’s “Best Foreign Film” category. The win and overall show marked many firsts: Chile had never won in this category before, nor had a transgender actress presented an Academy Award; and all the while, the “#MeToo” movement advocates were projecting their voices heard louder than ever amidst the recent Harvey Weinstein scandal (The Weinstein Company - founded alongside brother Bob - has since filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy).
For 29-year-old transgender actress Daniela Vega, now making her debut in a major motion picture, the underlying meaning behind her success resonates universally with everyone who appreciates fresh faces with an uplifting backstory.
“I want to invite you to open your hearts, and your feelings, to feel the reality; to feel love,” said Vega while wearing a stunning Romanesque-draping purple evening gown during her presentation of an Oscar-nominated song from Call Me By Your Name. “Can you feel it?”
There were many emotionally moving feels in A Fantastic Woman, a beautifully directed movie about coming to terms with one’s own identity and disregarding any negativity emanating from those who attempt to degrade the natural resilience of the human spirit. Marina (Daniela Vega), a transgender waitress by day and bar singer and lover of Orlando (Francisco Reyes Morande) by night, finds herself in a precarious situation. While together, Orlando suffers fatal injuries, and then when police question Marina’s involvement in Orlando’s death, his family only becomes more suspicious of her romantic relationship with someone old enough to be her father. The only true relationship with their family is with the brother of her lover, who still has his reservations about integrating the newly minted Marina (previously Daniel) into the family.
Ostracized by her community and the family of the man she loved so dearly, Marina attempts to fit in wherever possible. A theme that repeatedly runs through the film is that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” – Marina actually says this as she’s looking for a mysterious key that fell out of Orlando’s pocket; she then gets made up for her beau’s burial rather than wilts away like a flower laid on a casket after a few days six feet under.
Ironically, finding out what the key leads to is seemingly anti-climactic; the irony of it being that the answer fails to provide closure in Orlando’s death, symbolizing the uncertainty that Marina has in accepting the idea of living life without him physically being by her side.
At one point Orlando’s ex-wife calls Marina a “chimera”, which in the context of the film, likely means an animal possessing both female and male organs. But, it could also refer to the mythical fire-breathing monster with the head of a lion, body of a goat and tail of a serpent. In a Ghandi-like way, Marina stays mum and walks away rather than falling into the trap of “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
While the dialogue between characters serves in furthering the film’s tension-rife theme, the silent, self-reflective scenes truly drive the film’s message forward most effectively. With beautifully framed camera shots, moving acting and a poignant story line, one could say that this film has it all – and deservedly so. With that said, there’s a bit of comedic relief missing, which might depend on with whom you watch the movie and the environment in which you view the film, too. There’s a funny moment where Marina’s holding a mirror covering her private parts (and the viewer still doesn’t necessarily know whether she did go ahead with an official sex change or not), while she’s looking down at her reflection. Been there, done that, right?
This action reflects another theme, revolving around owning who Marina has become without allowing room for others’ judgment. Viewers get visual clues of this, particularly when she’s staring deeply into a wonky mirror; expressing herself through operatic singing in the mezzo-soprano key which, by the way, mirrors the actresses’ true life talents as a growing opera singer amidst her real life sexual transition.
Elements of A Fantastic Woman bring back memories of Spanish foreign film The Skin I Live In, a story about a surgeon who transforms his daughter’s rapist into a man. There’s arguably a crossover between the strong visuals, sense of coming to terms with having control over one’s body and identity, and seeking emancipation from forced captivity of others or even self-imposed restrictions.
The overall takeaway from A Fantastic Woman ultimately rests in the utter truth that each individual – regardless of how he or she is born, bred and breathes – can carve a path out and find his or her way in this ever-changing world. The author of this story had the pleasure of viewing A Fantastic Woman at the Coral Gables Art Cinema, which shows contemporary and past films that typically have cult followings. Find show times and learn more about the theatre by visiting the theatre in-person at 260 Aragon Avenue in Coral Gables, FL, or simply visit its website: www.gablescinema.com.
A version of this article appeared in the May edition of Miami newspaper INYBN.