Here we go again. More flashbacks of a childhood trauma. In Tamara Hernandez’ flawed and ultimately unbelievable film, Billy’s memories of his father abusing his mother drive him to a career as a female impersonator. When Gloria, an abusive, domineering, sadistic writer ruins Billy’s debut, he’s compelled to seek her out. Within minutes, she rapes him. Yet this poster child for Freudian theories sticks around and lets himself be drawn into a dysfunctional and dangerous relationship. When Gloria’s cutesy and manipulative cousin comes to visit, Gloria’s jealousy, fueled by her obsession with Billy, causes the already bizarre relationship to mutate with potentially deadly consequences.
Aside from its unsympathetic characters in general, I also had a hard time swallowing a simpering drag queen as a leading man. But the kicker came when a supposedly dead character – I won’t give away who – swallows on camera. Twice. That’s just sloppy movie making.
Yep, unpleasant characters populating an unappealing world are enough to make me cry something, all right.
