Jamie passion and passionfruit!

Transamerica is not a great film.  It does have some great features though.  As most know the Oscar nominated performance of Felicity Huffman is a gem of a portrayal of a transsexual who suddenly discovers that she has a son right before she is due to go under the knife for the final cut.  Although it is a stretch to have a woman playing a man being a woman, Huffman does it so well that her character is poignant and believable and totally that of someone trying to find her way out of everything that has messed her life up to now.  Her portayal of the stiff laced bible madam adds a layer of humour and irony when matched up with her gay hustler son played very well also by Kevin Zegers.  Director Duncan Tucker may have ended up with a somewhat predictable film in terms of its moral stance and its overall plot but he does exploit all the opportunities for some good one liners and laugh out loud moments.  Some, like the reunion with Bree’s parents are over the top and Fionnula Flanagan is unrecognisably grotesque as the mother.  Then there are some rather ill-fitting scenes like Toby’s attempted seduction of Bree which leads to the ultimate truth coming out.  It was good to hear Dolly Parton on the lead song too and the road journey through the mid and south west of the US had its charms.  Good entertainment, excellent acting but don’t scrutinise it too closely.

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