To Die Like a Man

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06/30/2013 TO DIE LIKE A MAN is a truly stunning and remarkable film. Sad, flamboyant, tortuous, and celebratory. This amazing film directed by Joao Pedro Rodrigues surprises at every turn with its raw capature of humanity. The plight of man and our complexity is in every frame of this film. Stunned is my only reaction. And there is one staggering moment when the characters all sit still in a forest, look up a the sky, the frame turns red, and Baby Dee sings CALVARY for 4 minutes on the soundtrack. One of the greatest uses of a song since Eastwood used the FIRST TIME EVER I SAW HIS FACE in PLAY MISTY FOR ME. But this is even better because the moment is part of a true whole that explores the human condition in all its coplexity while remaining totally cinematic. See more 11/06/2012 The film has many layers and meanings, sure, but I am severely turned off by its indescribably melodramatic sentiments (despite knowing that this is entirely intentional, duh). But, if it is never exactly bothersome, it's because the director takes pain in crafting his ideas, although I have to say that a lot of things still remain unexplored. See more 01/21/2012 The final is really good. See more 12/23/2011 To Die Like A Man tells the story of Tonia, a homosexual transvestite (check if this is accurate) whose is in constant struggle with himself. The film studies Tonia's complex feelings of being stuck inbetween being everything he wants to be in a female, but yet knowing that he truly will never be one. Tonia feels alone in the world. His boyfriend, Rosario, is a drug addict who is not very supportive or even nice. Her son is in denial of his own homosexuality and he takes this anger out on Tonia, pretty much disowning him. Tonia's own body seems to reject the notion of being a woman. Music plays an intricate rule in expressing Tonia's state of mind. Being a show dancer and singer, there are quite a few scenes in which Tonia is shown singing these slow, somber songs in which the viewer and read between the lines for meaning in Tonia's own experiences. Visually the aspects of the film in which Tonia controls are very bright and vibrant, specifically her apartment, which reminded me a lot of Almodavar film in its production design. Visually its well done and even has some phallic symbolism in a few places as another way of looking into Tonia's emotional state. The films tragic end really wraps up this tortured soul perfectly, as he reflects on his failures as a father and desires which never were fully realized. To Die Like A Man is an emotionally complex tragedy which gives a unique viewpoint into a character which is rarely examined. See more 10/09/2011 A pre-op transsexual drag queen lives with a suicidal junkie. CORRECTION TO MY EARLIER REVIEW: This movie should get an "incomplete" rating from me, since I watched a flawed version via Netflix streaming. The dtreaming version is missing the audio track; I assumed that this was an experimental gimmick by the director, but in fact it was just a technical error. See more 08/01/2011 Apesar de alguns cortes na naturalidade e do tom miserável típico do cinema tuga, serviu muito bem para deixar cair os preconceitos que tinha sobre o João Pedro Rodrigues e perceber que ele sabe fazer cinema. E sempre que o filme se afasta do travesti principal, fá-lo na direcção de cenas um bocado pretensiosas e chatas, o que só demonstra como o filme depende do grande papel do Fernando Santos (Toina). Nem sequer gosto muito da música do Antony, mas este filme pareceu-me a mais bonita e triste canção dele com duas horas e tal de duração. See more Read all reviews

To Die Like a Man

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