'Monica' Review: Trace Lysette Soars As Powerful Family Drama's Muse
The still waters run deep, and in Monica , some of the quiet moments are some of the most powerful.
Italian director Andrea Paloro's latest film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Orlando Tirado, Monica is a quiet and powerful family drama centered around a trans woman, Monica, played by the enthralling Trace Lisette.
Unlike most family dramas where a family member is trans, this story takes the perspective of a trans person. She follows Monica when she receives a call from her sister-in-law, who tells her that her mother, who kicked her out of the house when she moved out, has dementia.
When Monica arrives, she recognizes her mother Eugenia (a delightfully haunting performance by Patricia Clarkson) simply because she is Monica, not the woman's daughter.
Throughout the rest of the film, we see how Monica spends time caring for her mother and getting to know her again. There are little moments, like when Eugenia compliments her name and says she'd like to change her name, or the two hugs, or Monika helps Eugenia with her makeup, that show us that love and family ties are stronger. than love. and ignorance.
When Eugenia is introduced to Monika, she is not told that she is trans and, at least at first, is not accepted as her daughter. She only knows that it is the person who came to take care of her.
Soon, Eugenia knows something else. He trusts that person and loves that person.
Think that you are a beautiful, pleasant and special woman and that you enjoy being with her. Although it remains ambiguous, by the end of the film he seems to understand that this woman he loves is his daughter and fully accepts her as his family.
All it took for her to forget that she didn't accept her transgender daughter was to see her as a person. While half of America argues that parents in CIS countries should hate their trans children and do everything possible to prevent them from becoming transgender, Monica is here to remind us how superficial and easy it is, let's get rid of this hate.
Monica is a mostly silent film with minimal dialogue, which gives Lisette's performance some space. Instead of talking about her feelings, Monika shares every emotion and thought that comes to her with her face, body language and pure energy.
While most of the story is told in an understated way, the scenes where Monika reveals all the feelings she still has to hold back are some of the strongest. Lycet's performance is calm and poised as emotions erupt like a cloud bursting through a rain-starved desert.
Lysette really shows off her acting skills here, exercising full control over her acting tools. After a career of mostly supporting roles in projects like Transparent , Hustlers , and Drunk History , Monica is finally giving Lysette the space to spread her wings — and she's flying.
Monica is a beautiful and deeply moving film that will leave you thinking for weeks. Backed by meticulous direction and cinematography, Lysette is the undisputed star of the film, delivering a performance that should place her firmly in the conversation of awards season and on every Hollywood director's wish list. Maybe even an Oscar nomination is in her future.
Monica opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on May 12, with more locations to be announced soon.
