This is your typical indie coming-of-age tale about a teenager, though it’s clearly working with a very tiny budget. Set within a migrant family living in Southern California’s Coachella Valley, the movie digs into how fragile old-school traditions and expectations can be. We follow a teenage son as he goes through the process of coming out and struggles to find acceptance while dealing with homophobia, domestic abuse, and a messy love triangle that involves his own sister. Goyo is seventeen and just about to graduate from high school. Since he’s been a bit more feminine since he was a little kid, he’s always had to deal with emotional and physical transition from his dad, Ramon, who is obsessed with him being "a man." The only real love he gets is from a lady next door who actually respects him for who he is. The family lives in a Mexican community where everyone works on a grape farm, but things get shaken up when a new guy named Lucio arrives. Lucio basically seduces Goyo ...
Chouchou arrives in Paris migrating from Chile (although I feel from looks and setting that the arrival should have been from somewhere North Africa, but that detail is irrelevant). Trying to find place to stay, he is taken in by a kindly priest Father Leon and Brother Jean, who also help him get a job in a psychoanalyst office as a receptionist and cleaner. The lady doctor is very friendly and one days asks what Chouchou's wish is. He tells her he would love to b a woman from head to toe. Unsurprised the doctor asks her to come dressed as woman and be herself. Chouchou is very happy. When the doctor has to go out of town for few days, an aggressive policeman, a patient of doctor shows up and assaults Chouchou who manages to run away. On street he meets his cousin who works as a drag artist in a bar, and Chouchou also starts working there as a waitress. One of the patrons Stan, a very rich man, takes a liking for her and soon there is a whirlwind of romance with him introducing Chouchou to his family. When Chouchou is back at doctor's office, the mad cop shows up again asserting the doctor and Chouchou both but this time he knocks off the policeman, who then takes them both to the station. Timely interruption from commissioner saves them both and Chouchou finally marries the man f his dreams.
Oflate I have seen many stories of transgender people but few of transvestites and this was. Welcome addition. Sure, the movie is not trying to talk about the struggles or issues of trans people, but it takes that as the basic theme and tries to create a slice of life story with how positive and innocent Chouchou is and how everyone deserves to be happy, albeit with a very light humor and fun on comedy. And this is precisely why the film works. The film is full of cliches, has an absurd plot nd will probably rub many people in the wrong way, but its really hard to dislike the film. You can't help but laugh at the loud antics and jokes. The story feels sincere and you feel that both the director and the actor were having a lot of fun while making the film, you do end up laughing at the comic situations and the scripted jokes. Imagine making a loud comedy film touching subjects of immigration, transsexuality, love and integration; but this film somehow works. The story touches us for the warmth but the execution is a laugh riot. The film is not trying to take sides or provide any meaningful answers to big political questions. Its aim is to make the audience entertained and I feel it does that very successfully. Needless to say that, if not for the unabashed beautiful acting by the lead actor, this film would have fallen to pieces. I had a lot of fun watching this film and I hope you do too. Sometimes, all we need is a good laugh without judgements. (6/10)
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