Princesa

"Princesa" can be a tough film to watch. It is a film about a "travesti" from Brazil who becomes a prostitute in Italy in order to pay for her surgery.

But the path she treads isn't an easy one. As you watch this film, you have to wonder if this is the same kind of thing that happens to most of the people in her same situation. Is this the tough reality they must face? A lot of the most powerful scenes are built around exactly that kind of thing and it often feels as if the film slows down at these moments just so the viewer can take it all in with a bit of extra time to think about it all.

This film is definitely not for everyone. While it is a good film to try and understand the kind of trials transgender people have to face to get what they want, a way to be accepted by society through a sex change surgery, there are many scenes that depict what some would consider graphic interpretations of prostitution. Other than that, I highly recommend this film, as it gives us a view of one of the most underrepresented demographics in all of cinema.

Princesca is a film which shows a more realistic view of what people who are trans gender go through. The film is based on the true story of Fernanda Farias de Albuquerque who was a transsexual who moved to Milan to have a sex change operation. The film stays true to the story and right from the beginning the film it shows the harsh reality that conflicts with the stereotypical Hollywood films. The film definitely has more of a dark and gloomy feel throughout. In addition the film has some styles about it that make it almost seem as if it is more of a documentary then a fictional story.

The movie is made better through the main actress Ingrid de Souza. She plays the part very well and even though some of the characters qualities are not very easily understood, the audience can still little by little come to understand and know the character of Fernanda through Ingrid's work.

The film also touches on the differences between transsexuals and transvestites. These differences can be seen through the characters of Cholla and Fernanda. This film is most definitely not a happy uplifting film. It portrays the real life struggles that actual people go through. All of the actors do a great job of bringing the story to life and the cinematography and lighting and sound also help to make this film a very good piece. If you are a fan of more serious dramatic films that deal with lesser seen topics such as transsexuals or transvestites, I believe you would like this film.

Princesa is a very dark and gritty film. It is based on a novel of the same name written by Maurizio Janelli.

The film details the story of Fernanda, a Brazilian transsexual woman who immigrates to Italy in order to begin prostitution; not because she wants to, but simply because it was the only way to finance her goal of having a sexual reassignment surgery. Her self-esteem is taken to extreme lows until she meets Gianni; a levelheaded man who Fernanda as a real woman and not a sexual object. Some of Fernanda's self-esteem is regained through this relationship, but Fernanda still questions her own self-worth for not being born with a completely female body.

The film itself is visually dark because most of the scenes take place at night. This alone shows how transgered individuals are forced to work night-jobs, usually in the sex industry. The look of the film itself is also very gritty. This helps to communicate an unsettling sense of reality as such a struggle is not an uncommon thing.

The acting by Ingrid de Souza is top-notch, considering she is a transsexual female herself. The acting is very believable, in such a sense that it is almost not even acting; because Ingrid was apparaently channeling her own experiences and emotions into the performance. This is what makes the film so real.

If one choses to watch this film, don't expect any comedy, any amazing spectacle, or to feel happy at the end of the film. Be prepared to watch something that depicts a very unfortunate reality.

This film is a sensitive and accurate portrayal of many of the issues surrounding transgendered living. The way that a transgendered individual evolves in feeling about herself as she confronts the implications of 'the operation' on her acceptance of herself and the way others will see her. The film has good production values and very nice scenes of Milano as it is.

To have a trip of totally different life with the hero is kind of enjoyment. Life is made up of choices. That is what the movie tells us. However, a firm idea that we believed in can be changed easily by little things, and what we really want may be not worthy of pursuing. Only after thousands of choosing can we be aware of what we really want to be.