XXY 2007

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Trim and briskly paced, XXY is sometimes difficult to watch, but Puenzo lets the actors explore a full range of emotions. Read more

Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture: The Argentine writer-director downplays the clinical angle and avoids easy melodramatic pitfalls. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Moody and thoughtful. Read more

Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times: XXY is the first film to address intersex identity with graceful compassion, and [director] Puenzo tells Alex's story with simple, honest and forthright integrity. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: What ensues between them, both psychologically and sexually, is one of the strangest, most fascinating dysfunctional relationships I've seen in a movie. The acting is outstanding. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The movie is a liberal plea without liberation. Read more

Bob Mondello, NPR.org: The movie's images are frequently startling, its performances sharply observed and quirky, and its take on its subject matter undeniably provocative. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: Ines Efron and Martin Piroyanski give strong performances as Alex and Alvaro, respectively. Debuting director Lucia Puenzo, who co-scripted, tackles a dicey subject with sensitivity and taste. Read more

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: See it not only because it works as an exquisitely tendered emotional experience, but also because it is the first cinematic treatment in fictional form of a taboo-breaking ticklish subject. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: It is not a message picture, never lectures, contains partial nudity but avoids explicit images and grows into a poignant human drama. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: An intimate, atmospheric character study with a lingering erotic charge, Lucia Puenzo's XXY is one of the year's most impressive directing debuts. Read more

David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle: Lucia Puenzo's XXY is as finely crafted as a great work of literature. Read more

Hank Sartin, Time Out: Read more

Melissa Anderson, Time Out: Read more

Jonathan Holland, Variety: Pic has more in common with standard child/parent conflict dramas than it would probably care to admit, but its sensitive treatment of an equally sensitive theme elevates it into something memorable. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: It takes a controlling hand to chisel something more contoured than monotony out of this dense angst, and director Lucia Puenzo doesn't have it. Read more