“A Fantastic Woman” is this year’s underdog to win the Oscar© for Best
Foreign Language Film.
In 2010, the favorite picture to win the Oscar© for Best Foreign Language was Michael Haneke’s masterwork “The White Ribbon” - the Argentinean inciteful picture - “The Secret in Their Eyes” took the gold. This year, the Swedish Palm d’Or winner “The Square” is the front-runner, but the South American transsexual venture could be a big surprise.
The Chilean contender elevates the public into the universal paradigm of what will happen if the person you love dies in your arms?
Marina Vidal is a reliable and at the same time a vulnerable transgender performer - a hard-working waitress who dreams about one day becoming a “Torch Singer.”
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| "A Fantastic Woman," Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017 |
What makes this insightful film more authentic and relevant is the person who plays Marina is Daniela Vega, a real transgender actress, and a great singer with a wonderful voice.
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| "A Fantastic Woman," Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017 |
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| AFI FEST, a standing ovation for A FANTASTIC WOMAN, photo Jose Hermosillo, Copyright FestivalinLA 2017. |
Her effort to keep Marina away from the family becomes a campaign that involves humiliation, abuse, an attempt to have her arrested.
Orlando suffered head wounds from a fall as she was trying to get him to the hospital. The family ashamed of their father's “immoral” conduct, will try to break Marina's spirit. Their imagination runs them wild.
Through Maria's experience, we can see social injustice. She has to confront society and its laws. Marina is not a criminal, prostitute, nor the monster everyone thinks she is. She is a hard-working human being with dreams and emotions like everyone else, as she proudly says: "My name is Marina Vidal, do you have a problem with that?
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| Une Femme Fantastique, French Poster wwwFestivalinLA.com |
Leilo’s humanistic approach is impactful.
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| Sebastian Leilo, 'A Fantastic Woman.' Photo by Jose Hermosillo ©2018 FESTIVAL IN LA |
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| Director Sebastian Leilo, 'A Fantastic Woman' Photo Jose Hermosillo ©2018 FESTIVAL IN LA |
“A Fantastic Woman” is an exquisite film comparable with Pedro Almodóvar’s “All About My Mother.” The most powerful scene comes when a strong wind tries to erase Marina from the earth while she, stoically, remains attached to her destiny.
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| Daniela Vega in A Fantastic Woman, Chile. Photo courtesy of the Berlin Film Festival 2017. |
The opening sequence of the Iguazu Cascades is evocative and visually contrasting with the modern part of the city, in the similar style of Venezuela’s hyper-realistic Golden Lion winner “Desde Allá/From Afar.”
The beauty of the film resides in Marina’s evolution into the perfect woman she wants to be. As she sings Aretha Franklin’s cover, “You Made Me Feel Like a Natural Woman,” she attempts to take all that negativity out of her system.
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| "A Fantastic Woman," Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017 |
During the film’s conception, actress Daniela Vega was working as a script consultant to bring authenticity to the project - until one day - the director wrote her a letter of invitation to take Marina's lead. Daniela jumped on the spot.
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| Daniela Vega, 'A Fantastic Woman' Photo Jose Hermosillo ©2018 FESTIVAL IN LA |
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| Producers Juan de Dios and Pablo Larrain, Daniela Vega and Sebastian Leilo ©2018 Festival in LA |
“A Fantastic Woman” is classy and a gripping film about the transgender community who have been struggling for quite some time and don’t give up with their fight for "equality and justice" in a closed-minded society.
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| "A Fantastic Woman," Daniela Vega as Marina Vidal, photo courtesy of Sony Classics 2017 |
The unexpected passing of Orlando sets the grim tone of this Latino, tropical-flamboyant movie from the very beginning. And, its artistic touch makes out of “A fantastic Woman” an inspiring story.
Marina's ordeal challenges its audience providing with the right tools to explore, expand, and connect with empathy and respect with the brave people who choose to be as different as Marina Vidal in “A Fantastic Woman,” a colorful, classy, and mind-blowing film.
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| Director Sebastian Leilo, 'A Fantastic Woman' Selfie by Jose Hermosillo ©2018 FESTIVAL IN LA |
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