Girl (2018) - Debuting Polster impresses in insightful trans drama

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Star Victor Polster's angelic visage adorns this turquoise back-colored poster for Lukas Dhont's Girl

Lara is 16 years old, studies ballet and is transgender. She is fighting to cover up her male characteristics and struggling with the waiting period up to the genital operation that she looks forward to.

Girl is written by Angelo Tijssens (Iceland/Ijsland (2010, short)) and directed by debuting Lukas Dhont (Headlong/Corps Perdu (2012, short)).

It is an impressively bold and tender performance from debuting Victor Polster that drives Girl, which dwells on him for every moment of its running time. Some of its many shots, particularly of the ballet studies, become a bit monotonous.

Lara gets support from her father and surroundings in general, - SPOILER the film only has a single scene of group pressure, a very mild form of abuse, - and for this reason it is hard to comprehend what exactly drives Lara to genital mutilation in the film's end, - which can also ruin the opportunities for a successful gender switch operation. Several scenes of the physical issues of the trans affliction, - especially the explanation of the operation, - are very unpleasant to witness. But Girl is certainly enlightening.

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 1.5 mil. €, approximately 1.81 mil. $

Box office: 4.1 mil. $

= Minor flop (returned its cost 2.26 times)

[Girl premiered 12 May (Cannes Film Festival, Un Certain Regard section) and runs 106 minutes. Dhont and Tijssens found inspiration and insight for the screenplay from Nora Monsecour, whose personal story is the basis for it. Shooting took place from August - September 2017 in Belgium, including Brussels. Polster, 14 years old at the time, got consent from his parents to do the film's nude scenes. The film was not released theatrically in North America. Its 3 biggest markets were France with 2.6 mil. $ (63.4 % of the total gross), the Netherlands with 1.2 mil. $ (29.3 %) and Greece with 72k $ (1.8 %). The film was nominated for a Golden Globe, won 5 prizes in Cannes, was nominated for a César award, won 1/4 European Film award nominations, 4/9 Magritte award nominations (Belgium's Oscar), and it was also Belgium's official Oscar entry of the year. Dhont has since only made Our Nature (2021, short). Polster is returning in Les Rivières Pourpres (2021, TV-series). Girl is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Girl?