I finished watching Pierre Guillet's Bristol Fashion (2022) and the first thought that I had
was that this film is relevant today more than ever. You will laugh, you will cry, you
might cringe from second hand embarrassment, and you will scoff at society's
intolerance. But most, you will feel empathy towards the protagonist.
The story follows the life of a disorderly transgender woman named Christina (Lea Nayeli) who wants to skip town on a boat but can't because she's broke. So in the meantime, she gets a job at a grocery store and Esteban (Raul A. Perez), the mechanic fixing her boat lets her live there until the boat is ready. You can tell Esteban has a crush on Christina which is why he let her stay there. Esteban has no idea she is transgender.
During the film, we get flashbacks of horrible events that took place in her home which explains why she wants to leave town.
Hollywood almost never shows us films like these where we see the struggles of being a troubled trans woman. Hollywood always portrays trans women as sex workers or getting into some kind of trouble. Bristol Fashion takes us into this world and you have no choice but to immerse yourself in it.
This film is a bit slow paced with intriguing music and shot in New York. But not in the city like you might think. More like Manchester by The Sea meets Tangerine. Dialogue seems a bit monotonous and stiff sometimes but it works and it's enjoyable.
There's a scene where Christina is interviewing for a job. The interviewer asks for ID, it says Christopher but the resume says Christina. The interviewer says, what are you trying to pull here? Only to realize what is going on. He's very understanding and asked what she would like to be called. A wholesome scene.
Esteban and Christina go on a road trip where they have a nice picnic and eat magic mushrooms. We discover Christina and Esteban's unique chemistry even though they are talking about paper clips. The two could have built more chemistry and a stronger connection during this road trip.
Written by Timothy John Foster, Pierre Guillet, and Lea Nayeli, it is unique, likable and original in story and style. I don't watch films like this but I enjoyed this one.
The story follows the life of a disorderly transgender woman named Christina (Lea Nayeli) who wants to skip town on a boat but can't because she's broke. So in the meantime, she gets a job at a grocery store and Esteban (Raul A. Perez), the mechanic fixing her boat lets her live there until the boat is ready. You can tell Esteban has a crush on Christina which is why he let her stay there. Esteban has no idea she is transgender.
During the film, we get flashbacks of horrible events that took place in her home which explains why she wants to leave town.
Hollywood almost never shows us films like these where we see the struggles of being a troubled trans woman. Hollywood always portrays trans women as sex workers or getting into some kind of trouble. Bristol Fashion takes us into this world and you have no choice but to immerse yourself in it.
This film is a bit slow paced with intriguing music and shot in New York. But not in the city like you might think. More like Manchester by The Sea meets Tangerine. Dialogue seems a bit monotonous and stiff sometimes but it works and it's enjoyable.
There's a scene where Christina is interviewing for a job. The interviewer asks for ID, it says Christopher but the resume says Christina. The interviewer says, what are you trying to pull here? Only to realize what is going on. He's very understanding and asked what she would like to be called. A wholesome scene.
Esteban and Christina go on a road trip where they have a nice picnic and eat magic mushrooms. We discover Christina and Esteban's unique chemistry even though they are talking about paper clips. The two could have built more chemistry and a stronger connection during this road trip.
Written by Timothy John Foster, Pierre Guillet, and Lea Nayeli, it is unique, likable and original in story and style. I don't watch films like this but I enjoyed this one.