Monica

"Andrea Pallaoro finds a fresh angle on the trans experience" 

"Formally intriguing and genuinely gripping, 'Monica' avoids the usual cliches and contains many lovely performances and graceful moments. Even the most jaded moviegoers may be surprised by how much [it] moves them (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)" 

"A tender examination of the isolation that often comes with the trans experience, Pallaoro's film arrives as if it descended from the cosmos, just when we need it most" 

"Lysette has real presence, her regal beauty softened by an affecting sadness and stillness. But the film doesn’t dig deep enough beneath that surface of sultry melancholy" 

"It’s a tender portrait of familial reconnection in difficult circumstances, with terrific performances. Clarkson puts in a sensitive, characterful turn, with strong support from Joshua Close and Emily Browning" 

"Pallaoro’s quiet film wields the paradoxical power of cinema to create pure illusion. Out of silence, there is latent loudness. Out of physical presence; psychological absence. Out of darkness, the dim flicker of hopeful light" 

"Pallaoro and co-writer Tirado give us only bits and pieces of the backstories of the characters, and that works out fine because their present distress is more interesting and more dramatic than what happened to them in the past"