In 1993, a young man named Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) arrived in Falls City, Nebraska. He was an instant hit there with his small-town innocence. But when he started dating Lana Tisdel (Chloe Sevigny) her unstable ex-boyfriend John (Peter Sarsgaard) uncovered the truth: Brandon Teena was really Teena Brandon, a girl enduring a gender identity crisis, who wanted to undergo reassignment but couldn't afford the surgery and was equally uncomfortable living as a lesbian. So, she chose to live as a male, with sadly tragic results.
Despite (or maybe because of) the importance of its content, Boys Don't Cry must be one of the most disturbing movies ever made. Co-writer and director Kimberley Pierce recreates this harrowing true story with a rather journalistic approach, assertive and desolate but methodical and never dishonest. She obviously knew sanitising or ignoring Brandon's struggles would've been disrespectful to his memory, most of all with the truly gut-wrenching rape scene.
But Boys Don't Cry just would never have been the same without the gifted Hilary Swank. Coming out of nowhere to win the 1999 Best Actress Oscar over heavy favourite Annette Bening (American Beauty), roles don't come any harder or braver than this, and Swank delivers a miracle. It's effectively a triple performance - as the confident and worldly Brandon, the anguished Teena Brandon and finally the exposed Brandon who must keep the peace and defend himself in terror against pure hatred - and overall it really is some of the greatest acting I have ever seen. She will simply leave you speechless, and not to be outdone Sevigny (who was Oscar-nominated) and Sarsgaard also leave strong impressions.
Boys Don't Cry may be a very confronting and draining experience, but its sincerity, compassion and suspense makes it absolutely commendable. RIP Brandon Teena.
No comments:
Post a Comment