"THE LAST SUMMER OF LA BOYITA"
Director: Julia Solomonoff
Trevor's Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
Something incredible is happening in Argentina. At the 2008 Frameline Festival, I saw for the first time what has become one my favorite movies of all time -- XXY -- which deals beautifully with the issue of intersexuality and the medicalization of sex and genitals. Now we have another incredible entry treading similar territory, The Last Summer of La Boyita. While there are some important differences, it's quite incredible that one country has made what are perhaps the two most compelling feature films on this topic.
The story is a classic summer tale: a doctor takes his daughter Jorgelina to the countryside where she forms a flirtatious friendship with a boy named Mario. They ride horses together. She swims in the pool while he whittles wood into rough sculptures. She protects him from the aggressive older boys who make fun of him. Mario is gearing up to race so that he "can prove he is a man," as Jorgelina's father says. Adolescence awkwardness and anxiety are wonderfully captured here.
Jorgelina becomes increasingly curious as to why Mario refuses to come swimming with her. She's pretty savvy, and after noticing blood on his pants she searches for answers about boys' menstruation. When she finds no answers, she turns to her father.
Unfortunately because of its subject matter and setting, the automatic comparison is XXY, which is a masterpiece of a film. The Last Summer doesn't quite measure up: The acting and casting isn't as incredible, the story is slightly less exciting, the presentation less provocative. But it is a wonderful film, despite its occasional shortcomings. The breathtaking country setting make for stunning cinematography. And there are some very funny and incredibly endearing moments. It's a real gem of a film.
Check out the trailer -- and keep an eye out for it!
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