XXY (2007)

This movie was a very complicated movie. There are many emotions present throughout the whole movie. While watching, spectators are forced inside the very difficult life of Alex, and we all of the emotions of her life alongside her. The topic of hermaphrodism is very complicated, but this film does a great job of expressing the struggles of everyday life.Alex, the protagonist, is a teenage girl born as a hermaphrodite in Buenos Aires, but her father, Kraken, and mother, Suli, decided to move their family to the coast of Uruguay after much scrutiny and harassment because of Alex's condition. They hoped that by Alex living her life in more solitude, she would grow up and reach puberty and then be able to decide how she wanted to live the rest of her life. Alex's mother sought council for a respected surgeon, Ramiro, who brought his wife Erika and son Ámiro to live with her and her family. Ramiro is very interested in the possibility of performing surgery on Alex so that she can officially live her life as a woman. Through very complicated interactions with Álvaro and her friends and family, Alex ultimately decides to give up trying to become a woman. I believe that this film does a great job of focusing in on the hardships of life for someone like Alex, and uses a very dark and cold cinematography to really capture the feeling surrounding hermaphrodism.

Argentine author, screenwriter, producer and director Lucia Puenzo's feature film debut which she wrote, is inspired by a short story called "Cinismo" by Argentine author, musician and director Sergio Bizzio. It premiered in the 46th International Critics' Week section at the 60th Cannes International Film Festival in 2007, was screened in the Vanguard section at the 32nd Toronto International Film Festival in 2007, was shot on locations in Uruguay and is an Argentina-France-Spain co-production which was produced by Spanish producer José Maria Morales. It tells the story about a fifteen-year-old virgin and student named Alex whom has been expelled from school for having hit her best friend named Vando. Alex lives in a house in a beach town in Uruguay with her father named Kraken who is a marine biologist and her mother named Suli, and one day she and her family is visited by a surgeon named Ramiro, his wife named Erika and their 15-year-old son named Álvaro. Distinctly and subtly directed by Latin-American filmmaker Lucia Puenzo, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints though mostly from the main character's point of view, draws a humane and reflective portrayal of an Argentine intersex person whom has stopped taking the medication which is preventing the male hormones in her body from growing and who becomes physically attracted to a same-aged boy who thinks he has befriended a girl. While notable for it's distinct, atmospheric and naturalistic milieu depictions, reverent cinematography by cinematographer Natasha Braier and use of sound, colors and light, this character-driven and narrative-driven story about identity where being born with both male and female external sex organs and having to decide which gender one is to live with becomes a heartrendingly conflicting choice for a person whom has been treated by some as a freak and who sometimes calls herself a monster as that is what she thinks she is regarded as, depicts a remarkably perceptive study of character and contains a great and timely score by composers Daniel Tarrab and Andrés Goldstein. This biological, densely conversational, mindfully romantic and authentic coming-of-age drama from the late 2000s which is set in a resort town called Punta del Este in Uruguay in the 21st century and where a father and mother whom has moved from the capital city of Argentina to get away from prying people, commendably allows their child to make her own decisions concerning who she wants to be, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, subtle continuity, rare graceful aura, scene between Alex and a girlfriend taking a shower together where a human being's sense of being bilateral and incomplete is poignantly envisaged, the profoundly gripping acting performance by Argentine actress Inés Efron and the good acting performances by Argentine actor and director Martin Piroyansky and Argentine actor, screenwriter and director Ricardo Darin. A compassionately incisive and naturally cinematographic narrative feature which gained the Critics' Week Grand Prize at the 60th Cannes Film Festival in 2007.

I won't repeat the extensive plot summaries offered by others, but simply say this is a wonderful, affecting film. As others have said XXY is NOT an accurate title for what the character of Alex is going through as this chromosomal picture would likely produce different development for her, but you can forgive it that. Intersex people (not 'intersexuals', or 'intersexed') - a term in growing use is people with DSD (Disorder of Sexual Development) - though rare , and more prevalent than you might think. Hospitals all over the world still take babies with 'ambiguous' genitalia and force on their parents surgery to put their kids into one gender 'box' or the other. Sometimes this can cause horrendous pain for the child as they grow - especially as puberty arrives.Something of this is touched upon here; the parents have bravely refused surgery for Alex (her father calls her 'perfect'), but have had to flee their home to another country in the face of prejudice and ridicule. Society's attitude is coldly portrayed by the surgeon and his wife, whose real agenda is to mutilate Alex to fit society's norms - irrespective of her (or, in fact more accurately, his) sense of self identity.The performances are tremendous, all round. From the two young teenage leads they are astounding. Strongly supported by Ricardo Darin who plays Alex's father. It's a film of great tenderness and compassion, and despite a rather bleak ending conveys great hope as a family grapples and comes to terms with the struggle of the child they thought was their daughter but is in fact their son.Beautifully, sparingly shot. Unsentimental and very moving.

This is the powerfully moving story of Alex, played by Ines Efron, a teen looking for acceptance and belonging in an often cruel and unjust world. XXY is chromosome combination for a person having been born with both male and female reproductive organs. Previously know as hermaphrodites, but now use the more P.C. term intersexed. Any time a movie goes into this territory it has a chance of become exploitive and unrealistic. Director Lucia Puenzo's is conscious of this and really hits home on many universal themes such as identity, parental love and belonging.Alex is fifteen years old and has been living as a girl all of her life. She takes hormones and supplements to keep developing this way. Her parents are obviously very protective of her secret and have had to move around a lot to avoid the unrelentingly curious public. After yet another move to a small coastal town in Uruguay, Alex seems to have had enough and stops taking her meds. A more aggressive Alex starts to emerge and after a fight with her best friend (Vando, a boy) she falls into an abyss of sexual confusion and loss of identity.Alex's parents could have elected have a surgery at her birth to "correct" the situation, but her father Kraken refused, simply calling her "perfect". Kraken is marine biologist by trade and a model of pure love and tolerance for Alex. Alex's mother is hurt and disappointed that she has decided to stop trying to become a woman and fears what might become of her. They invite a surgeon and his family to their home for a few days to get a sort of second opinion. They have a teen son named Alvaro who is also trying to find his own way.Alex asks Alvaro point blank if he will have sex with her, but he declines as he is dealing with some issues of his own. He suspects she is different but not to what extent. When Alex forces the issue and they finally get together, Alvaro is in for quite a surprise. Kraken accidentally witness part of this and his deepest fears start to surface. The fallout from this event is emotionally painfully and embarrassing for all of them. When a group of teen boys hear a rumor about Alex and decide to find out for themselves we get one of the more heartbreaking scenes in the film. They hunt her down on the beach and hold her down while one of the boys pulls down her shorts. She is eventually saved by Vando and taken back home. Kraken is conflicted as to weather or not to got to the police as it could bring even more unwanted attention, so he leaves it up to Alex.Alex and Alvaro's relationship allows them to use each other in order to find out who they really are. Alvaro confirms that fact that he is gay and must deal with his intolerant father, which is another gut wrenching scene. As Alvaro and his family get ready to leave, he confronts Alex about his feeling for whoever she decides to become. Alex is skeptical about his motives and asks if he wants "too see" and he leaves it up to her. She shows him and the film thankfully holds back the urge to give the audience a sort of genital money shot and leaves it to our imaginations. This film is beautiful, tragic, hopeful and so many other things. It is a must see and is available through Netflix Watch Instantly