Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

David Traversa A real surprise (in my case) because although this one is my second Peruvian film and the first one was a true flop ("La teta asustada") this one is so good I'm still breathless from the experience. What an excellent movie!!!The script is SO intelligent that not only shows us the inner turmoil of a young man trying to cope with his forbidden homosexuality (apparently a no-no in "good" Peruvian society, specially when you want to be honest about yourself to the world and come open about it) but most of all in the way it shows us the amazing degree of hypocrisy mankind has gone through to arrive at this point of "Don't ask, don't tell", or as the Italian say: "Si fa, ma non si dice" (roughly translated: "It's done, but it's never talked about").I wonder... How many lives --so far-- have been ruined by these policies? Macho men --in society-- that behind a close door can do ANYTHING sexual with another macho man, but once outside from that room they don't even know each other...(the SHEER TERROR of being identified as homosexuals...).A transvestite appears in a very brief scene and his/her figure made me realized that in the world as it is today, these people are real martyrs. They are placed --in the social scale-- at the very bottom (at least this kind of street walkers by night in out of the way public spaces) and yet, come to think about it, THEIR GUTS!!! the incredible guts these people have to face the world AS THEY ARE (This is ME, take it or leave it) and you realize that homosexuality is an inborn thing, not as some preachers go around saying that it is acquired, because (just think for a moment) who wants to CHOOSE as a way of living, to live a life of derision, of insults, of physical blows, of constant humiliation?... nobody as far as I'm concerned. Statistics show the life span of transvestites as 32 years due to the extremely hazardous existence they carry (another strong point to show that nobody would choose to be one if it was possible TO CHOOSE...)How hypocritical have we been forced to be by this kind of societies? and I'm sorry to say that this is happening not only in Perú, but all over the world... How many more generations of martyrs, of repressed men, of poisoned lives before the world accepts that homosexuality is just another way for sex to manifest itself, as simple and casual as the sun coming out every morning?A masterful movie by masterful writers and director, a movie that Hollywood will never dare to make and miles ahead of any of its tepid, pussyfooting productions touching homosexuality. It should be a movie to be shown BY LAW in every school in every country of the world.Do not worry, it will never happen, we'll go on as we are going now, and who knows for how much longer...

Churu This one has bad sound, and some of the performances are poor. But the plot is great, is actually excellent. The leading actor and actress are excellent. The only thing I didn't like about the movies is it explicit and graphical content, is just too much beyond the limit....

Gonzalo Melendez (gonz30) It's a shame this movie, showcased at the February 1999 Miami Film Festival to a sold out crowd of almost 2,000, has not been distributed outside its home territory of Peru. To North Americans and Europeans, it is only another coming out story, but for Latin America, it's a break out film, based on a break out novel (Read it. Its ending is not compromised for commercial reasons as the film's ending is.)

Sweden-2 Recently shown at the official Swedish Film Festival in Gothenburg (99/02). I hope this movie reaches a wider audience all over Europe. An honest and sincere story about the sometimes painful "coming-out" process. Although quite graphic at some points the story includes both comic relief, sappy moments, great writing and as a bonus a great soundtrack. Fredrik Olsson 99-02-08