A
year in which really good female roles were scarce. Nicole Kidman gave a scorching
performance in Eyes Wide Shut but it's Hilary Swank who gives the most memorable
and heartfelt performance of the year.
Swank
is completely compelling as Teena Brandon, a young woman who passes herself off
as a man, and finds love in the form of the terrific Chloe Sevigny (Kids, Last
Days of Disco.)
As
directed by Kimberly Peirce, Boys Don't Cry is an intriguing, sometimes painful
take on the American dream. As the film progresses, it becomes a most unconventional
love story, that could have come off as a really bad movie of the week. Fortunately,
thanks to stellar acting and strong writing, it never sinks to those depths. Instead,
it becomes an intensely honest, and moving love story that really works.
Swank
is a revelation and watching her make a complete transformation, makes it hard
to remember that she was also The Next Karate Kid.
Peirce
takes her cue from actual events that occurred in a small town in Nebraska. She
tackles tough subject matter and touchy situations with a lot of class. Although
there are inconsistencies towards the film's end, there is no denying the power
of Boys Don't Cry.
In
the end, it is the endless energy and vulnerability of Swank that takes this film
to another level. Her performance, by far, is the strongest work by a female this
year.
