Coby

Twenty-three-year-old Suzanna Hunt is a small-town Ohio woman who embarks on a lengthy medical, psychological, and emotional journey to transition into Jacob Hunt. That journey is not a linear affair in the interesting if sometimes also self-absorbed documentary Coby, which shuffles different chapters in Suzanna/Jacob’s life as captured in a running video diary spanning years. Telling the story out of chronological sequence actually enhances the essential humanity and courage of the film’s subject, as we see him as both a frustrated teen who can’t wait for transition medication and surgery, and as a handsome young man sprouting a close-cropped beard and recording his ever-deepening voice. Filmmaker Christian Sonderegger wisely explores the subtle complexities of Jacob’s adjustment to change (including his awareness that testosterone therapy has altered his experience of empathy for others). Viewers also meet Jacob’s progressive parents, colleagues (he’s an EMT), and his girlfriend, who all add to his heartwarming story. Where one’s eyes might glaze over a bit is Sonderegger’s fixation with lengthy impressions of Jacob’s body: what does his elbow look like in a close-up mirror reflection? What about his hair flapping in the breeze? This becomes an annoying tic in an otherwise illuminating film. Extras include deleted scenes. Recommended, overall. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)