A Fantastic Woman (2017)

Marina, a transgender woman who works as a waitress and moonlights as a nightclub singer, is bowled over by the death of her older boyfriend.

Director:

Sebastián Lelio

Writers:

Sebastián Lelio (screenplay), Gonzalo Maza (screenplay)

Stars:

Daniela Vega, Francisco Reyes, Luis Gnecco

Won 1 Oscar. Another 30 wins & 40 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniela Vega	...	Marina Vidal
Francisco Reyes	...	Orlando
Luis Gnecco	...	Gabo
Aline Küppenheim	...	Sonia
Nicolás Saavedra	...	Bruno
Amparo Noguera	...	Adriana
Trinidad González	...	Wanda
Néstor Cantillana	...	Gastón
Alejandro Goic	...	Médico
Antonia Zegers	...	Alessandra
Sergio Hernández	...	Profesor de Canto
Roberto Farías	...	Médico SML
Cristián Chaparro	...	Masajista
Diana Cassis	...	Recepcionista
Eduardo Paxeco	...	Paramédico

Storyline

Somewhere in Santiago at a dimly-lit nightclub, Orlando, the kindly and well-off owner of a textile company, locks eyes with Marina, a hopeful singer and the roughly half-his-age love of his life. But, unfortunately, after Marina's birthday celebration and a night of passion, Orlando falls gravely ill--and by the following morning--he dies in hospital. In the wake of her companion's untimely death, Marina will soon realise that, from now on, everything is brought into question: her involvement in Orlando's death, their unconventional relationship; and above all, her right to mourn her beloved deceased. In the end, what was Marina's crime; a deed so hideous that would rob a fantastic woman of her respect, her dignity, and ultimately, her identity?

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Plot Keywords:

transgender woman | female nudity | death of lover | gender discrimination | male nudity | 

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Taglines:

Fearless, Powerful, Ravishing.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexual content, nudity and a disturbing assault

Did You Know?

Trivia

Daniela Vega is the first openly transgender woman to present at the Oscars.

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Quotes

Profesor de Canto: Saint Francis says, Make me an instrument of your love, make me a channel of your peace.

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Connections

Featured in 75th Golden Globe Awards (2018)

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Soundtracks

Puedo Confiar en el Señor
Performed by Francisca Espinosa & Belen San Martin

User Reviews

A Fantastic Woman (2017)

I don't always check out Academy Award nominated foreign films unless they really grab my attention (nothing personal, just time constraints with what I watch). A Fantastic Woman recently opened in the city and I decided to check it out. Didn't know a whole lot going in but I was excited nonetheless. After viewing the film I'll say while its not perfect and seems to get lost at stages as it goes along its still an effort that speaks towards today's issues and a film with a fine central performance from a newcomer.

The film is about a transgender woman who recently experiences the loss of her lover after he experiences his seizure. She is not able to grieve and attend the funeral properly because his family are embarrassed by her (because she's transgender) and even resort to verbally and physically attacking her. The film also shows how difficult her life is as she tries to find peace and solace in the death of her lover. The film was submitted from Chile.

Daniela Vega is very impressive for a newcomer. Her performance is powerful. She has to stand up against oppression and is unnerved as she does it. She's quite a great and complex character and has to carry the film. A Fantastic Woman is a thin work otherwise. Its interesting because it touches on discrimination against LGBTQ, which is still a problem in the world today. I do feel like the film builds very slowly throughout and doesn't quite achieve its potential.

The film is actually fairly safe compared to other films that deal with discrimination and hate. Other's might feel more positive about the film than I do. Daniela Vega has a future and will likely be in other foreign (or even local) work. I do have a mind to check out some of the other foreign nominees this year but I might just in the end check out the winner instead. Who knows, could be this one.

6.5/10

Details

Official Sites:

Fabula [Chile] Komplizen Film [Germany]

Country:

Chile Spain Germany

Language:

Spanish Chinese

Release Date:

2 February 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Fantastic Woman

Filming Locations:

Santiago, Chile

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$64,241, 4 February 2018

Gross USA:

$2,020,988

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,702,353

Company Credits

Production Co:

Participant, Fabula, Komplizen Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1