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Warped and yet strangely enjoyable coming-of-age flick meets social-commentary from actor-cum-director Shirley MacLaine who is herself a bit of an odd duck in both her professional and her personal life, i.e. the dozen or so claims throughout the 1980's that she's both died and been reincarnated. Alex D. Linz plays a quiet young spelling-bee champ and Catholic school boy named Bruno, who due to some sort-of religious epiphany decides that he'll start wearing little girls dresses (regardless of it being in public or not) so as to find and hopefully experience a supposed "divine state of grace". His fellow classmates and virtually everyone (the singular exception being Bruno's reclusive and obese dress-sewing mother who forever supports him no matter what he wants to do) are thoroughly shocked and utterly disgusted at this seemingly normal little boy's sudden strange revelation, and as a result treats him as if he were now a side-show attraction or all-around outcast. Some quirky cameos from actors who you'd never in a million years think that they'd do something like this such as Gary Sinise (!?) playing Bruno's constantly embarrassed and ashamed father, Kathy Bates as a hateful and prejudiced Mother Superior and comedian Brett Butler portraying a caring nun and teacher are just a scant few of the more noteworthy performers here, and even the aging MacLaine herself gives an appropriately funny turn as the boy's crotchety grandma (decked out all in plaid, a cigar constantly dangling from her lips and a salt-and-pepper wig no less). Overall, 2000's little-seen indie "The Dress Code" (it was just simply "Bruno" where I saw it) is no doubt a different take on the whole gender dysphoria. Though, to be truly honest here you don't really know whether to say it is just a totally wrong-headed and rather perverted remake of 1997's brilliantly subtle and extremely colorful French effort called "Ma vie en Rose" with a great deal more of overtly religious Catholic symbolism (which there was not an iota of in that film), or instead a sly and clever little social commentary on how society -particularly people influenced by a certain religious practice such as Catholicism for instance- will never really be understanding of those that choose a different kind of lifestyle and dress code (no pun intended as it is also the film's title) as opposed to what is considered the norm. Personally I think it's a bit of both when you get right down to brass tax, and I also think that in it's own unique way it's even a little better than the aforementioned film "Ma vie en Rose" in that for an American production it chooses a touchy subject matter and twists it all about to ultimately come up with something that is by film's end somewhat intriguing and quite bold! If you're not a homophobe or an easily offended follower of the Catholic faith then this is a movie that I strongly suggest you take some time to seek out. The performances above all else are surprisingly touching here and worth the time and effort to watch, especially that of young Alex D. Linz who plays the titled character of Bruno. (***1/2 out of *****)
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