Rent Girl (2018)

sensitive - Girl review by jM

Beautifully and sensitively portrayal of a teenaged boy, aspiring to be a ballet dancer, who underwent a sex-change. While there would be a temptation to push things to extremes, the wonderfully underplayed role on the young actor left you in no doubt at any moment how he was feeling without his expressing his emotions verbally.

Moving, convincing, educational, superbly acted - Girl review by JA

Loved this film on many levels, all the better for not having read the synopsis beforehand. Who could fail to be moved, or to empathise, with the central character and her father? Love shines throughout, inspiring. The best films inspire and educate us, expanding our experience of lives we've not lived, but could have. This is such a film. Could I have been such a good Dad? I'd like to think so. Brilliant.

A hammerblow of a film, with a stunning performance by Victor Polster - Girl review by TB

I had heard a lot about this film, mainly the controversy around it, which always to me is a red flag, in the sense that it wasn't actually going to be that controversial.

And I actually want to deal with and scotch that matter before I continue: this is a film which is based on a true story. The director Lukas Dhont worked extensively and extremely closely with the individual who it is about. And this trans-woman has repeatedly and passionately defended the film, saying that it is absolutely accurate & clear in its portrayal of what she went through. To me, that is what matters. There are now many many more films about trans experiences out there, so if this is not something that a particular individual likes or agrees with, there is plenty of choice.

The film itself is so effective at communicating how horrific the experience of the main character's gender dysphoria feels. We as the audience repeatedly are shown the horror and discomfort Lara feels in the body she was born in. It is also welcome in this film that her parents actually are written like proper parents would act: concerned, frustrated and at times exasperated and lost at what to do.

The journey of Lara progressing through not only her treatment but also trying to become a ballet dancer are extremely well shot and written. There is joy followed by heartache, as well as triumphs that make you cheer. Polster is a professional dancer in real life, and this pays dividends to being able to fully realise that element of the story.

But Polster's acting is also outstanding. The film would have failed totally without him and the fact that this is his first performance is all the more staggering.

The main thing that stops this from getting 5 stars is the ending. Unfortunately, a lot of the sterling work done by everyone gets in some ways derailed by the final shots. But this is a small price to pay for the journey taken.

Heartbreaking, painful and ultimately an unbelievably powerful portrait of transition