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Why you should see XXY
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XXY (2007) is a foreign drama of a 15-year-old hermaphrodite battling with the decision to become only one gender. Since birth, Alex (Ines Efron) had not seen the surgeon’s knife to correct her condition. She has however seen doctors and scientists who prescribe her corticoids to help her develop as a woman, though she still has both functional sexual organs. The pressure of living in a large city had been too much for the family, and they moved to a small fishing community in Uruguay to lead a more secluded life. Alex’s problems only multiply when she has a fiery breakup with her boyfriend, Vando (Luciano Nobile) and breaks his nose. Consequently, Alex decides to stop taking her corticoids. Her protective parents decide that it is time for Alex to choose one sex and see a plastic surgeon. Alex’s mother (Valeria Bertuccelli) invites one to their beachside house along with his wife and their teenage son, Alvaro (Martin Piroyansky). Alex bonds with Alvaro who is also dealing with his own identity crisis. Alex’s father (Ricardo Darin) deals with the brunt of the issue, taking upon himself to find other hermaphrodites who have had the procedure as adults and seek their advice. When Alex is molested by three of Vando’s friends, it becomes an issue between privacy and justice and Alex must make a very difficult decision.
This Argentinean film has received widespread critical acclaim since its release. It has won the Critics’ Week grand prize at the 2007Cannes film festival and the ACID/CCAS Support Award. It took away three awards from the 2008Argentine Film Critics Association Awards including Best Film. XXY has received twenty different awards in total.
It is a compelling drama that pulls you into 15-year-old Alex’s strange world with subtle twists that leave you wondering what will happen next. It is stunningly beautiful with a dreary, crystal blue seaside setting and white sandy beaches. Efron is amazing and very, very weird at the same time. It is a foreign film and spoken in the native tongue, so subtitles might be required to understand what’s being said. The content of this film is not recommended for kids. Sorry, not even teenagers. The plot is just too intense and disturbing for young eyes to see. It’s not what you might consider to be a good date night movie, but maybe a solo venture. Nonetheless, it is a very good and interesting movie.
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