Enrique (Esai Morales) returns home to the Bronx after a lengthy spell in prison to discover that Angela (Judy Reyes) his wife is distant, to say the least, and his son Michael (Harmony Santana) is now a transgender woman and known as Vanessa. None of this sits well with headstrong Enrique who views these changes as a personal threat to his masculinity and to his position as head of the household. His only way of coping means that he soon slips back into his criminal ways and almost risks losing everything.
An impressive first feature from writer/director Rashad Ernesto Green that so neatly captures a slice of life in this Latino neighborhood. And special credit to Harmony Santana who was commencing her own gender transition when she took on the role of Michael.
This is a complex family drama that sensitively tackles all their issues unflinchingly with more than a tad of humor. One of my favorites from Sundance this year, it’s a tough subject superbly filmed, and a real pleasure to watch.
