In Portuguese director João Pedro Rodrigues's bizarre yet fascinating study of gender identity and self-determination, Fernando Santos stars as Tonia, an aging drag icon of Lisbon's gay club scene in the 1980s. Tonia's younger, heroin-addicted boyfriend Rosário (Alexander David) wants him to undergo sexual-transformation surgery, but Tonia's devout Catholicism prevents him from following this route. Tonia's violent, estranged son (Chandra Malatitch) turns up to further complicate (and possibly destroy) Tonia's life, after which Tonia's health takes a serious turn for the worse, and he finds himself questioning both his self-worth and his place in the world. While To Die Like a Man suffers from melodramatic moments (and a mystical sequence involving Tonia and Rosário in an enchanted forest that seems misplaced in view of the overriding tone of harsh drama), this overlong film ultimately succeeds because of Santos's remarkable performance: neither alluring nor campy, his Tonia believably faces internal pain and external pressures with unexpected maturity. Recommended. (P. Hall)
To Die Like a Man
Strand, 133 min., in Portuguese w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $24.99, Aug. 23 Volume 26, Issue 6
To Die Like a Man
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