Normal
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Movie Reviews of Normal
Movie Review: superb
Summary: 5 Stars
What a surprise joy this movie was - absolutely realistic and believable. You won't be disappointed.Movie Review: Transpeople are "Normal": See this Movie!
Summary: 4 Stars
"Normal" is an excellent, pull-no-punches look at transsexualism. The writer/director taylors her story to show many sides of the issue: the wife's initial hostility and confusion, the church's nonacceptance, the tough workplace, and the struggle of Ruth's children. The director is careful to make Ruth into an every-transsexual, as she has two children: a girl who is accepting and a boy who has to come to blows with his father before he finally comes around. She makes Ruth transition in a small midwestern town, a really tough place, in order to bring out some of the worst that can happen. Ruth's workplace is a testosterone-filled factory and the coworkers have a violent reaction when Ruth shows up in a pair of earrings. The small town atmosphere permeates the story and reveals the ignorance of small town people, but also some surprising support and acceptance, even if it is after a hard-fought battle.My main criticism is that the timeline is hard to follow. Ruth seems to transition much more quickly than most transsexuals, and she makes many mistakes, such as the above-mentioned earrings at work, the perfume she wears on the job, and the falsetto singing that gets her kicked out of choir. We never learn how Ruth gets her hormones, or how she gets permission for sex reassignment surgery--as all transsexuals know, there are gatekeeper issues in transition, and the director never reveals that side of Ruth's struggle.
In all, though, this is an entertaining and well crafted story, and it should help in the struggle for acceptance that all transgendered people go through. See it with your family, and learn to accept the diversity of the population around all of us.
Movie Review: Jessica Lange always top notch
Summary: 4 Stars
When I first started watching NORMAL, it felt like a TV movie (perhaps being produced by FBO didn't help), however this feeling quickly disappeared. Having Jessica Lange in it certainly helps lift the film to a cinema like production.
NORMAL is about a country-based couple who have been married for 25 years with two children, one still at home, the other in another city. The husband (Wilkinson) announces one day that he is a woman inside a man's body and has fought this feeling for many years. The wife (Lange) naturally dismisses his claims at first, but as the weeks go on, she realises her husband is sincere in his feelings and his plans to pursue them.
It's an issue most of us don't have to tackle or get involved in. The film handles this issue very convincingly, and this is only possible by having two excellent leads. Lange is outstanding as the wife, who at first is totally opposed to her husband's claims, and as the film progresses, becomes supportive, caring and loving.
Overall, I was VERY impressed by the way the film was done, considering that I went into it thinking it was one of those over-dramatised made-for-TV movies. This film is far from that, and if you are a fan of Jessica Lange, then see it now! It will also cement the fact that Lange is one of the best actresses of our time.
DVD SUMMARY: I saw an Australian DVD version which has a widescreen anamorphic transfer. I believe the American DVD is only full-frame (which is a shame these days). Extras on the disc were an audio commentary by the director.
Movie Review: Outstanding Sleeper Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie is emotionally punched. It moves with a steady pace though. It's based on a play about a man who finally finds the courage to be true to himself, ie. he opts for a sex change operation to become a woman because his inclination is there since the beginning of time. For him, he wishes to be normal and carrying on living. However, being "normal" is a subjective issue because for some, "normal" is where a man is a man, and a woman is a woman. Instead of giving him the support that he looks for, the community is giving him a hard time and even making him into a "pagan" despite his contribution to the Church community for many years. Whilst the wife is shocked in the beginning, as time goes on, she realises that she needs to look beyond the physical aspect and looking at the support and love that he has given her over the years. The movie ends by having the family reconciling with one another and moving on with life. A powerful movie that moves and touches your heart. Highly recommended. No extras in here.Movie Review: Unusual and worthwhile
Summary: 4 Stars
Originally made for HBO, this unusual drama follows an Iowa couple whose lives are thrown into turmoil by the husband's revelation that he wants to change his gender. In the central roles of Roy, the husband, and Irma, his at first disbelieving, then supportive wife, Tom Wilkinson and Jessica Lange give superb performances. There is strong work by Hayden Panettiere as their sharp-tongued daughter as well. In a society where people are regularly murdered for trying to break out of their physically assigned gender roles, the relative gentleness with which Roy is treated by the obviously conservative small town where he lives seems a little optimistic. Nevertheless, the performances and an understated, observant script that avoids cliche raise this one above the level of a mere curiosity.