Romeos

Wow. Romeos moved me in so many ways that I feel...speechless. It's been a long time since I watched something that made the tiny hairs on my arms stand on edge. Moved to tears not only because of the performances (although they were extremely good) but because...finally someone has come along and made a movie so brutally honest, without apologies, on a topic that so many people are ignorant about. And we all know what happens when people are ignorant. Ignorance leads to fear and fear leads to blind hatred. That ignorance, fear, and hatred is what kills our youth, whether its from suicide or bashing.

Romeos was one of the movies I actually paid to see at last years 2011 Philadelphia Q-Fest. And guess what? When my mom and I got to the theater and were standing in line, we found out that something was wrong with the film equipment, therefore, we could either get a refund or come back tomorrow. Well, I had work the next day and I live about a good 40 mins from Philadelphia, so I ended up taking the refund. Since then, I have been patiently awaiting the movie's release on dvd and worried that I would be disappointed after waiting so long. Normally, that's what happens, but I was tickled pink that Romeos far exceeded my expectations.

As the synopsis states above, the movie is about a 20 something pre-op transgender FTM (female to male) named Lukas. He gets accepted into some sort of Nursing program and must live in a dorm while completing the course work. Even though Lukas has been taking hormone treatments that have changed his voice, hair growth, and general appearance, he is technically still a female. Because of this, he is forced to stay in the female dorms. The head of housing keeps Lukas's secret, telling the girls that there is no room left in the men's dorms, therefore, Lukas would be staying with them until further notice. Lukas is upset at his housing situation, but perks up when he sees Ine, a friend that knew him when he was known as "Miri" and learns she will be staying at the dorm as well.

As Lukas gets settled in, the first part of the film reveals his daily routine as a transgendered person: hormone injections, lifting weights, measuring different areas of his body, etc. He also keeps a live journal online where he connects with other transgendered people in all stages of their transition. When Ine invites him out with her to a party, you really get to see how awkward it is for Lukas. Even though the hormone treatments have done wonders with his outward appearance-- facial hair, muscles, deep voice etc., the one thing they haven't helped him get rid of are his breasts. Lukas wears some sort of chest binding vest, but it still does not keep his bosom completely flat. This is why he layers his clothes, crosses his arms over his chest, never getting too close to anyone--another words, Lukas is always in a state of anxiety or paranoia, afraid that someone will notice.

The hunky, charismatic Fabio is the one person Lukas wants to notice him, but not for his upper appendages. Fabio is the epitome of a gay alpha male, appearing to be confident in mind and body. He attracts the attention of both males and females and in some scenes in the movie, you wonder if he is bi or if he dates women to make Lukas jealous (you will see what I mean if you watch the film). Lukas is fascinated by Fabio; a part of it could be first love, a crush, but I got the sense that Lukas views Fabio as the perfect male specimen. He is everything that Lukas wants to be-- perfect body and the confidence to go with it.

But all is not as it seems. The more time Lukas spends with Fabio, the more he tries to convince himself that it's his manly attributes that attracts him. But one of the hardest lessons Lukas must learn is how can he expect someone to love and see the real him if he can't even tolerate his own self? And although Fabio may be good at making people believe he is confident and an out and proud gay man, in reality he is closeted in many ways (again, I don't want to give too much away).

There are so many interesting topics that are addressed in this movie, but there were 2 that really fascinated me. One is during a scene where Lukas reluctantly goes with Ine to the beach because he finds out that Fabio is going. While everyone is stripped down to their swimming shorts or bikinis, you feel Lukas's awkwardness as he sits fully clothed with his layered shirts. As he watches Fabio and some of the guys swimming, Ine, his best friend, takes her bikini top off (remember, nude beaches are common in some other countries). Lukas points to Ine's breasts and starts explaining the breast removal process that he will eventually go through and Ine pushes his hand away and tells him to stop.
She asks, "If you like boys, why don't you just stay a woman?"
Lukas responds, "One has nothing to do with the other."
Lukas is completely right. But Ine's question is one that confuses so many people in the world. There is a BIG difference between someone's gender and someone's sexuality but oftentimes they are thought to be one and the same. Gender is whether you are a male, female, or transgender (born with parts you don't identify with and wish to change such as in Lukas's case). Sexuality is your sexual preference, what you are attracted to, such as being straight, gay, bi-sexual, etc. So even though Lukas was born female, he identifies himself as male. He is in the process of physically becoming a male. Since he is attracted to men, that would make him gay. His best friend is being hypocritical. Ine openly admits she is a lesbian. So for her to tell Lukas that he might as well stay female if he likes guys sort of makes no sense. I could see that being more of a comment that someone homophobic would say. Lukas could have turned her words back on her and say, "since you like women, why don't you grow a pe*is?"

This leads me to the last point I want to make that the movie addresses. Once Lukas's secret is revealed (I won't say how and why), prejudice starts to rear its ugly head. Fabio turns into one of his greatest tormentors, calling him names, flaunting other men and women around him as if to say he would date anyone other then him. Straight people are not the only ones that can be ignorant and prejudice towards transgendered people. The homosexual community can be a transgendered person's greatest nightmare. Why? Because ignorance breeds fear, and fear breeds hate. Fabio really does care for Lukas. What holds him back is his lack of knowledge about transgendered issues and the pressure of what others would think of him liking someone like Lukas. There is no denying Fabio's curiosity and once he lets go of worrying about what others may or may not think about him and Lukas, he is then more willing to let go of his prejudices and learn more. And let me be clear, Fabio is not as confident as Lukas thought he was. There are many reasons why, but that is for you to find out!

If you think that is all that's covered in Romeos, you are in for a surprise. For a 94 minute movie, it touches on so many more issues, themes, etc. But I don't want to give everything away. It sounds like I did, but I'm telling you, I really didn't scratch the surface. So if you are up for a good drama, some romance, a little comedy, mixed in with real, true life issues that transgendered people go through in today's society, then you really are in for a treat!

Mia at The Muses Circle (Like my review? Come check out more on my blog! Do a google search for The Muses Circle)

"Romeos"....is a Carefree title....a Fun title. BUT, buckle up your seatbelts and hold on tight....for the ride you're about to be taken on is, often, neither carefree nor fun. And why is that? Because, over and over, you'll be asking yourself: HOW is this young guy...this Rick Okon, from a little town in the Northeast fringes of Germany, able to drag us inch by inch by inch into all his emotional turmoil: His shyness...his physical discomfort...his fear of discovery...his beginnings of love? ...And while doing so with little more than his frequent arms-hugging-himself poses...his facial expressions...and those EYES. Well, the answer is just something you'll have to figure out after the trip. For each of us, it will have been different.

But...forget the "HOW" we've just discussed. More important is the "WHAT"....for what we are being given here is a Near-Equal to the Oscar winning Best Actor performance in 1999's "Boys Don't Cry". That time, Hilary Swank......this time, a rising, young German star. As the transgendering Lukas, Okon takes us along on an important part of his journey through the swirling emotions of Hormone Replacement Therapy, into complete physical transformation from female-to-male. BUT....in this instance, unlike in other films, the end goal is to find a same-sex (Male / Male) relationship. About which, please note the following:

(( I can talk about this movie's particular sex-change circumstances in no better way than to paraphrase a quote by Reviewer, "nnenok from Slovenia" (at Imdb.com): The MOST IMPORTANT lesson this film gives to us and to any already Transgendered-to-Male person (who is attracted to another Male) IS: ...Being attracted to a woman doesn't make you a man---but FEELING like a man does. ))

So...maybe "Boys Don't Cry". Yet, perhaps at times, this film will bring you to the verge of doing so. For what we are seeing is a near breath-taking and heart wrenching performance (I often recall James Dean), about a transgendering, young German who has fallen for a macho Lover-Boy type. Yes, yes, Maximilian Befort, as Fabio, has a face and body which will keep your dreams HOT for days. A Lover-Boy?...sure. A Sex Bomb?...you bet. In fact, he's Sex on a Stick! Yet, despite acting self-centered and forever off to the next conquest, his scenes with Lukas are always exciting ones....giving us a gut feel for the Fever which is building up between these 2, a Fever always tempered by fear of Fabio discovering the hidden transgendered condition.

As to Fabio's side of this relationship, he is kept almost always off balance, and in a perplexed state: Lukas being turned-on by Fabio....quickly followed by instances of Lukas shutting Fabio down. But, still, hard as it is to live with the emotional changes being thrown at him....Fabio does keep trying; he keeps coming back for more. (Leading to this Reviewers opinion that Lukas has him hooked....letting the line out, then pulling it back--even if not always aware he's doing so).

And so, I TRULY BELIEVE the final lovemaking scene is giving us The Key to this relationship; oh, yes indeed, it is. But that is not half as much as we are being told by the last few seconds shot, wherein we are watching through the lens of a digital camera...and seeing: A deliriously happy, and completely transgendered Lukas, taking off running through seaside sand dunes toward water's edge. Come on, now....STOP AND THINK about it! That CAN'T be all we're seeing. Because you know what? SOMEONE is holding that camera....You wanna take any bets as to WHO?

Enjoy this Special Movie....And, thank you, Sabine.

PS--And amidst all the turmoil...Thank Heavens for the occasional fun, lightness, and warm support given by terrific young actress, Liv Lisa Fries, as "Ine"...the B(Girl)FF of our Lukas during their growing-up years.

PPS--Hey, Folks, This has been a hard ride...and you deserve a break. So, here's a little Enjoyment Tip for you. Give a look at this great little Fun...Straight (or is it?) movie: "Wild Target". That Great Brit, Bill Nighy, is funnier than you've ever seen him....with a gorgeously conniving Emily Blunt always around upsetting things. Oh..oh, and don't forget that guy of "Harry Potter" fame: Rupert Grint is a laugh riot....in his bathtub scenes. So, buy it here at Amazon.com and have a BLAST!

Now...for my very last REALLY BIG TIP (for those of you Vid-watchers having an All-Regions DVD player): Watch for the upcoming early release, in the United Kingdom, of one of the most highly reviewed Gay movies of 2011. That's right, "Weekend" is due out on March 19, 2012 in Region 2, Blu-ray format. If interested, Amazon.com/UK has it. So, you need only go to the bottom of this page and click on 'United Kingdom'. Happy viewing.

4.5/5

(The Positive)

I watched this movie last weekend with a bunch of friends, many of whom are transgender, and we all had overwhelmingly positive feelings about the film. There aren't very many films out there that are representative of the lives of trans people and even fewer (if any) deal with these populations with compassion and respect. This film was particularly good in that regard.

The lines or borders separating certain identities are often confusing for a lot of people, and the general public often uses film to make sense of the lives of trans people, making films (or TV shows) that center on trans people formulaic, sensationalistic, and predictable. Frequently when trans people watch media coverage on our own lives, we very quickly get the vibe "this movie/show wasn't made for us, and the producers/directors have no idea what my life is actually like"; this movie, however, was pretty spot-on with what many trans men (and perhaps other trans people) are feeling: (in many cases) anxiety, fear, and worry. When do I disclose my trans status? Should I have to? Will the other person still find me attractive? Will I become a joke in my town? Will I be harassed? Will I be accepted and respected, validated and affirmed? With which gender will I be housed with? How will my exes, family, and friends react? (and will they disclose to my new friends that I am trans and compromise the perceived integrity of my person - or my safety?)

The film also explores other emotions and themes: Friendship, attraction, pride in what one can accomplish working daily on one's body [in this case, weightlifting], enticement, sexuality and shifts in sexuality -- and it does it all in ways that affirm truths trans people know but many non-trans people don't, for example that gender and sexual orientation are very separate (and yet somewhat interdependent) things. And that transition is something the whole person goes through, not just their outer shell.

This film very carefully manages to bring up issues that relate to bodies and the ways bodies are gendered without reducing Lukas to his physical transformation as so many films/shows featuring trans people do. We see him inject his T, we see him still with breast tissue, we see him struggle with his lower anatomy, and we also see him struggle with whether or not these are things that will be "deal breakers" with the men (or more specifically: man) he is interested in. For all these reasons and more, this film is incredibly relatable to many trans men (especially those that are gay) and engaging to watch. I particularly enjoy the fact that his best friend (and also ex-girlfriend) was given such a central role, that we got to witness the type of housing discrimination that is so prevalent, and that we got to see him engage with his family - as all these issues are in many ways more problematic (and more pervasive) for trans people than the physical transformation stuff, which is usually only a central issue for a year or two [typically].

In addition to all of that, all the characters are (in my opinion) super attractive, and the acting is superb. For a non-trans man, Rick Okon does an incredible job capturing both the excitement and exhilaration of sexuality as well as the anxieties and frustrations that accompany having a body that departs from what is generally assumed about bodies (specifically, that a person you perceive as male has a "typical" penis and male history, and related).

In short: The scenes could be taken from the daily lives of actual trans men. Way to go, Sabine Bernardi.

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(The Negative)

...Of course, no film is without its limitations. The hyper-sexualization of Fabio seemed a bit excessive; the use of "tranny" made me curious as to cultural chasms that might exist between the U.S. and Germany as that is a slur almost exclusively hurled at trans-feminine people here in the U.S.; it genuinely surprised a few of us how Lukas was able to maintain attraction to someone as rude as Fabio; and one friend who liked the film overall did not like the ending which seemed to favor sexual awakening over friendship (after all, we don't know exactly who is holding the video camera). [This same friend was obsessed with the fact that Lukas' character apparently never showered, which he found particularly disgusting - no one in our friend circle cares that we smell like men now, or whatever it was that Lukas was fascinated by.] As hopefully you can tell, the things discussed as flaws between the group of us relating to this film were pretty minimal, all things considered. I still highly recommend this film. I'm sure my whole group of friends would.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews  4.4 out of 5 stars