XXY

The tense confusion of something unspoken is thick from the opening credits of XXY. Lack of understanding is at the heart of every single frame of the film: nobody really knows what they’re doing, or what the consequences of their actions might be. There is also a sense of inevitability - after a certain point, there’s no turning back. Alex is rebelling, as fifteen year olds are expected to do. However, when rebelling means stopping taking the hormones which set your life on one particular path, the results have far-reaching implications. Alex is a hermaphrodite, living with her adoring, scared parents in a small Uruguayan town, and her secret is out. For such taboo subject matter to be handled so deftly is remarkable: free of stereotyping and sanitisation, Alex is a vulnerable, sexual human being, propelled into an uncertain adulthood faster than anyone deserves to be. Unique, captivating and challenging, XXY is nigh-on perfect. [Cara McGuigan]