A Fantastic Woman

A Fantastic Woman is Chile's submission for the 2018 Academy Awards for best foreign language film.  Recently I got into a discussion with someone about the foreign language category.  Mostly due to the concept that this year is the first year that there's a "foreign film" that is in the main stream categories, of best picture and best actor and supporting actor.  While I have seen many foreign films of a variety of skill sets this year, I'd certainly say that this one could easily fit into the category of one of the best ones I've seen in awhile.

Maria, a young woman has fallen in love with an older man, Orlando.  We are introduced to their life and relationship as they are celebrating Maria's birthday and budding into the stage of moving in together.  Upon returning to their apartment for the evening, and after going to sleep, Orlando wakes up not feeling well.  Struggling to determine the source of the pain, Maria fixes to take him to the hospital.  While waiting for Maria to come out of the apartment, Orlando goes into the stairwell and falls down two flights of stairs, cutting his head badly in the process. 

Upon reaching the hospital, the emergency room works to find the source of Orlando's pain.  A nurse eventually comes out to notify Maria, that while trying to help him, Orlando had died.  In shock, Maria, contacts one of Orlando's sons, Gabo.  He tells her to stay there and to not contact the rest of the family.  Maria flees from the hospital, only to be picked up and returned by police officers to the hospital.  It is then that viewers become more aware of the nature of Maria and Orlando's relationship.


Maria, is questioned at the hospital revealing that she is a trans-gendered woman.  The movie then embarks on the quest Maria begins to properly say goodbye to Orlando and begin to move on.  I found that the film takes on many sides of the transgender argument, many of Orlando's family raising questions about the nature of the relationship, fear of the other, while Maria's family tries to get her through the harsh realities of losing her loved one, her dog, not being able to attend the funeral, and being thrown out of her apartment.  It's a film that takes on many of the arguments many nations are facing, and entwines it with the beauty of merely wanting to exist and love.


The music is haunting and helps evoke strong feelings in most scenes.  I found the most tender scenes to be when Maria goes for a music lesson, and when she preforms.  Daniela Vega, who plays Maria, a trans-gendered woman herself, brings a nuanced and touching performance to the screen of dealing with death and hatred.  One of first movies I've seen on the subject and thought it was a touching, well thought out approach to the subject.