Laurence Anyways

As a trans woman. Seeing this film made me feel very conflicted. I had high hopes for a film that took trans characters seriously and portrayed them delicately. Sadly, it did anything but.

The first part of the film, when Laurence is pre-transition, is very good at depicting Laurence's inner stress of being perceived as a man, and was very powerful. The problem is that the film never really allows Laurence to transition. The way she is depicted, she remains, as the top review says, "a man who wants to be a woman", never a transgender woman. No real change, physical or psychological, occurs with transitioning, except for minor cosmetic alterations and failed attempts at clothes and makeup. This feeds into the classic trope of the "pathetic transsexual" who is doomed to forever remain a man who fails at womanhood.

Much of the problem lies with the decision to cast a cis male actor as Laurence. Melvile Poupaud does not succeed in portraying a trans woman. No trans woman I know is remotely like this. The lack of realism and sensibility to trans life is especially jarring since Laurence is an intelligent and resourceful character whom would be able to learn to navigate the norms of womanhood. Also, the film moves many years into transition, and even if hormones is mentioned at an early point, they don't seem to have any effect on Laurence except for some supposed breasts.

This type of depiction is dangerous. It feeds into a collective imagination of us as essentially men, which is what makes us susceptible to homophobic violence and lack of access to basic material needs, such as bathrooms and proper healthcare.

ALL THAT BEING SAID, the film is otherwise very good. The cinematography is excellent, the colors, the camera work, the locations, the use of sound and music. Except for Laurence, the acting is great. And the love story, that serves as the main plot of the film, is captivating. All in all, there were many parts of the film I could enjoy and where I felt immersed. And while I felt a deep discomfort with the depiction of Laurence as the film progressed, the early parts of pre- and early transition was relatable and emotional and found resonance with my own trans experiences.