A Fantastic Woman Explained

Native Name:
Director:Sebastián Lelio
Music:Matthew Herbert
Cinematography:Benjamín Echazarreta
Editing:Soledad Salfate
Runtime:104 minutes
Language:Spanish
Gross:$3.7 million[1] [2]

A Fantastic Woman (Spanish; Castilian: '''Una mujer fantástica''') is a 2017 drama film directed by Sebastián Lelio, written by Lelio and Gonzalo Maza.[3] Produced by Juan de Dios and Pablo Larraín, the film stars Daniela Vega and Francisco Reyes. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Oscars[4] [5] and competed for the Golden Bear at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival.[6]

Plot

Marina is a young transgender woman living in Santiago, Chile. She works as a singer and a waitress and is in a relationship with an older man named Orlando. They have recently moved in together, and on Marina's birthday, Orlando gives her a note promising tickets to a famous resort as a gift. However, Orlando wakes up in the middle of the night feeling unwell and stumbles down a flight of stairs. Marina takes him to the hospital, but he dies of a brain aneurysm.

Marina contacts Orlando's brother, Gabo, and is later picked up by the police. The officers call her 'sir' after checking her old ID card and demand an explanation for her sudden departure from the hospital. Gabo arrives and speaks to Marina with enough familiarity to convince the police of her innocence. He lets her take Orlando's car home.

Orlando's ex-wife, Sonia, contacts Marina to arrange a time for her to drop off Orlando's car. While working, Marina is visited by a detective named Adriana, who works on cases that include sexual assault. Adriana suggests that Orlando was paying Marina as a sex worker rather than the two dating. She also thinks Marina may have caused Orlando's bruises while defending herself from a violent encounter. The detective tells Marina she will be waiting to meet with her after work-- she does not go.

Marina returns home, where she is comforted by Orlando's dog, Diabla. Orlando's son, Bruno, arrives the next morning and harasses Marina with personal questions. Marina takes the car to be washed and "sees" Orlando, which disturbs her. She then meets Sonia in a car park and hands over the car. Sonia becomes upset and asks Marina to hand over the flat as soon as possible. She tells Marina not to go to the funeral.

She goes to meet detective Adriana who insists a physical exam must be performed because Marina did not meet with her after work the day prior. When Marina tries to refuse the exam, the detective warns that doing so will result in an investigation being opened against her. She is forced to be photographed nude to check for any signs of bruising or injury.

Gabo calls Marina and tells her that Orlando will be cremated, and he wants her to have some of the ashes. Marina prepares to move out of Orlando's apartment and discovers Bruno has taken Diabla.

Wanda and Gastón warn her to let it go, but she decides to attend the wake but upon her arrival, Sonia demands that Marina leave, and Gabo follows her out and apologizes. Later, Bruno and his friends accost and kidnap Marina, threatening her and wrapping her face in scotch tape before leaving her in an alleyway. Marina then walks to a gay club where she meets a man and later hallucinates seeing Orlando. Later she spends the night with Wanda, her sister, and Gastón, Wanda's partner.

She decides to visit a sauna where Orlando had left a numbered key. She nervously enters the sauna and books in before locating the lockers and opening Orlando's, only to find it empty. The next day, Marina discovers the details of Orlando's funeral in the newspaper.

After the funeral ceremony, Marina is confronted by Orlando's family who insult her, prompting her to climb on top of their car and demand her dog back. She follows an employee into the morgue and sees Orlando's body before his cremation.

In the final scene, Marina is seen running with Diabla and later singing an opera recital to a packed audience.

Cast

Release

A Fantastic Woman premiered at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival on 12 February 2017. The movie won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay and the Teddy Award, which is given to films with an LGBT theme. Two days prior to the premiere, Sony Pictures Classics acquired the distribution rights for the film.

Reception

The film holds a 94% approval rating on review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 221 reviews, with an average rating of 8.10/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Subtle and tender, A Fantastic Woman handles its timely, sensitive subject matter with care."[7] It holds a score of 86 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 43 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[8]

Chilean LBGTQ activists used A Fantastic Woman's Oscar win to accelerate local discussions on a gender identity bill.[9] Subsequently, Chile approved laws allowing transgender citizens to change their official details in late 2018.[10] According to political scientists Carsten-Andreas Schulz and Cameron G. Thies, the international recognition of the film temporarily made support for trans rights a matter of national pride in Chile, which opened a window of opportunity for the approval of the law.[11]

Accolades

A Fantastic Woman received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, and became the first Chilean film to win the award in this category.[12] It was the second Chilean film to win an Oscar, after Bear Story in 2016.

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipients Result
Academy Awards4 March 2018Best Foreign Language FilmChile
A Fantastic Woman [13]
Belgian Film Critics Association7 January 2018Grand PrixA Fantastic Woman[14]
Berlin International Film Festival18 February 2017Teddy Award – Best Feature FilmSebastián Lelio[15]
Silver Bear for Best ScreenplaySebastián Lelio and Gonzalo Maza[16]
Golden BearSebastián Lelio
Cabourg Film Festival18 June 2017Grand Jury PrizeSebastián Lelio[17]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards11 January 2018Best Foreign Language FilmA Fantastic Woman [18]
Dorian Awards31 January 2018Best Foreign Language FilmA Fantastic Woman [19]
Best Actress Daniela Vega
Best LGBTQ Film A Fantastic Woman
Best Rising Star Daniela Vega
GLAAD Media Awards12 April 2018Outstanding Film – Limited ReleaseA Fantastic Woman[20]
Golden Globe Award7 January 2018Best Foreign Language FilmA Fantastic Woman [21]
Goya Awards3 February 2018Best Iberoamerican FilmA Fantastic Woman[22]
Havana Film Festival15 December 2017Special Jury PrizeA Fantastic Woman [23]
Best ActressDaniela Vega
Unete- United Nations PrizeA Fantastic Woman
Independent Spirit Awards3 March 2018Best International FilmA Fantastic Woman[24]
National Board of Review28 November 2017Top Five Foreign Language FilmsA Fantastic Woman[25]
Palm Springs International Film Festival13 January 2018[26] Honorable Mention Cine Latino JuryA Fantastic Woman [27]
Best Actress in a Foreign Language FilmDaniela Vega
Platino Awards29 April 2018Best FilmA Fantastic Woman [28]
Best DirectorSebastián Lelio
Best ActressDaniela Vega
Best ScreenplaySebastián Lelio and Gonzalo Maza
Best Film EditingSoledad Salfate
Best CinematographyBenjamín Echazarreta
Best Art DirectionEstefanía Larraín
Best SoundTina Laschke
Film and Education ValuesA Fantastic Woman

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Una Mujer Fantástica (A Fantastic Woman). Box Office Mojo. 24 March 2018.
  2. Web site: Una Mujer Fantástica. The Numbers. 10 November 2017.
  3. Web site: 'A Fantastic Woman' wraps shoot . 15 December 2016 . . Jeremy . Kay . 8 March 2016.
  4. Web site: Bacherbas . 11 September 2017 . Los latinos al Óscar 2018: Chile . 11 September 2017 . Premios Óscar Latinos.
  5. Web site: 23 January 2018 . Oscars 2018: The list of nominees in full . 23 January 2018 . BBC News.
  6. Web site: Aki Kaurismäki, Oren Moverman, Agnieszka Holland, Andres Veiel, and Sally Potter – First Films for the Competition of the Berlinale 2017. Berlin International Film Festival. 15 December 2016. 15 December 2016. Press Office. Annual Archives: 2017. 28 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180628044315/https://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/2017/08_pressemitteilungen_2017/08_pressemitteilungen_2017detail_34708.html. dead.
  7. Web site: A Fantastic Woman (Una mujer fantástica) (2017). Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. 5 October 2020.
  8. Web site: A Fantastic Woman Reviews . Metacritic. 17 April 2018.
  9. News: 'A Fantastic Woman' reignites Chile trans rights debate. Levy. Nicolás. 7 March 2018. Washington Blade. 4 March 2019.
  10. News: Chile approves law for transgender citizens to change official details. Cambero. Fabio. 12 September 2018. Reuters. 4 March 2019.
  11. Schulz . Carsten-Andreas . Thies . Cameron G. . 2023 . Status cues and normative change: How the Academy Awards facilitated Chile's gender identity law . Review of International Studies . 1–19 . en . 10.1017/S0260210522000626 . 255907830 . 0260-2105. free .
  12. Web site: Oscars: Chile's Win for 'A Fantastic Woman' a Transgender Watershed . Roxborough . Scott . . 4 March 2018 . 4 March 2018.
  13. Web site: "Una mujer fantástica" se lleva el Ariel a la mejor película iberoamericana. El Periódico. 6 June 2018.
  14. Web site: Grand Prix UCC 2018: cinq finalistes issus de quatre pays, le Cavens à Home. 6néma. 22 December 2017. 27 December 2017. fr. 6nemablog. 23 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171223215949/http://www.6nema.net/grand-prix-ucc-2018-cinq-finalistes-issus-de-quatre-pays-le-cavens-a-h-a134716504. dead.
  15. Web site: TEDDY AWARD Winners 2017. 17 February 2017. 18 February 2017. Johanna. Mitz. Teddy Awards.
  16. Web site: Prizes of the International Jury. Berlin International Film Festival. 27 June 2018. 21 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190321010348/https://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/2017/03_preistrger_2017/03_preistraeger_2017.html. dead.
  17. Web site: Le Festival du Film de Cabourg 2017 a distingué ses lauréats. Vanity Fair. 22 June 2017. 18 June 2017.
  18. Web site: Critics' Choice Awards: 'The Shape of Water' Leads With 14 Nominations . . 6 December 2017 . 6 December 2017 . Gregg . Kilday.
  19. Web site: 'Call Me by Your Name' Leads Dorian Award Nominations. The Hollywood Reporter. 10 January 2018 . 13 January 2018 . Gregg . Kilday.
  20. Web site: GLAAD Media Awards: 'This Is Us,' 'A Fantastic Woman' Among Winners . . 12 April 2018 . 12 April 2018 . Kimberly . Nordyke.
  21. Web site: Golden Globes 2018 Film Nominees Led by 'The Shape of Water' and 'The Post' . . 11 December 2017 . 11 December 2017. Kate. Erbland.
  22. News: AFP . "Una mujer fantástica", gana Goya a mejor película iberoamericana . 3 February 2018 . 7 February 2018 . El Espectador.
  23. Web site: Argentine Drama "Alanis" Takes Best Film Award at the Havana Film Festival. Havana Times. Havana Times. 16 December 2017. 17 December 2017.
  24. Web site: 2018 Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 'Get Out' and 'Call Me by Your Name' Dominate. IndieWire. 21 November 2017. 21 November 2017. Zack. Sharf.
  25. Web site: 2017 Award Winners . . 27 December 2017.
  26. Web site: A Fantastic Woman. Palm Springs International Film Festival. 13 January 2018.
  27. Web site: Félicité Garners Palm Springs Accolades . Palm Springs Life. 13 January 2018 . 13 January 2018.
  28. Web site: Sebastian Lelio's 'A Fantastic Woman' Sweeps Platino Awards. The Hollywood Reporter. 30 April 2018. 30 April 2018. John. Hecht.