Search - Princesa on DVD

A Poignant, Brave Little Film

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 10/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"PRINCESA is an Italian film that hints of Fellini's best movies and yet has a style that is less bravure and more sensitive and touching. The world of prostitution has been widely examined by writers and directors, but the world of prostitution where the main characters are all transexuals or transvestites has only been sugggested in the works of Almodovar and a few other daring avant garde directors. PRINCESA (the street name of the main character, a young man from Brazil who moves to Milan to make enough money as a hooker to pay for his much desired gender change operation) takes on only the subject of how these extravagantly dressed prostitutes survive the street life that supports them. There are friends of Princesa who are also from Brazil and the dialog is in both Italin and Portugese and well transtlated in subtitles. The story is simple: Princesa falls in love with a 'john' who at first rejects her when he discovers she has male genitalia even though her face and breast implants costume her as a beautiful woman. The rejected Princesa moves in with the Madame of the prostitutes (Karin - likewise a transexual) and finds support and caring and a good life. When Princesa's 'john' (Gianni) returns to apologize for his initial behavior, they slowly develop a relationship, fall in love, and the rest ....you must see the film to discover.The characters are so beautifully acted that it is difficult to tell if the actors are male or female! The cast is strong, never creating parodies but instead allowing the inner person to emarge in a credible way. The photography and music score are excellent. A very fine litlle movie this!"

This is why I like indy films

Beres | USA | 10/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you liked 'The Crying Game' you'll probably like this. Not that they deal with similar material, but the sense of a seedy paralell world existing next to the one most of us inhabit is there. Cesare Bocci is fine as hell. I wish he were in more films. Ingrid de Souza is a beautiful and sympathetic character but you get frustrated with her choice at the end. Overall, definately worth adding to your dvd collection."