In Monica, middle-aged masseuse, Monica, is a trans woman who has been estranged from her family for years. However, when her mother’s health declines, Monica’s sister-in-law gets in touch and asks Monica to help out.
Monica is very apprehensive about going back home, but she understands the need to reconnect at this important time. Her mother, Eugenia, is battling against a tumor, which is causing her some confusion, and she is now entering the latter stages of her life.
Upon arriving at the family home, Monica meets with Eugenia but her mother doesn’t seem to recognise her. Keen not to cause any drama, Monica doesn’t say anything about who she is and instead allows Eugenia to believe she is another carer.
Over the coming days, Monica cares for Eugenia as best as she can, while dealing with her own feelings related to their shared past. As the two spend time in each others’ company, they develop an unspoken connection.
Directed and co-written by Andrea Pallaoro, Monica is an LGBTQ+ drama which stars Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson, Joshua Close, and Emily Browning. The film made its debut at the Venice International Film Festival way back in September 2022, but finally lands in cinemas in the UK and Ireland from Friday 15th December.
Featuring a powerful central performance from Trace Lysette, Monica is an intoxicating picture which looks at the difficult relationship between Monica and Eugenia. The pair have not seen each other in years, but are forced to reconnect because of ill health, and they get to share some time together before it is too late.
However, their newly forged relationship is still bumpy. Secrets remain hidden, conversations go unspoken, and no one wants to address the elephant in the room.
The pair gravitate towards each other in many ways, yet they refuse to discuss the truth about Monica’s identity. Who Monica is and why she is at the house becomes an unsettled cloud which lingers over all of their interactions, and this shapes a great deal of the narrative.
It is implied that Eugenia knows who Monica is, but for whatever reason, she simply doesn’t wish to speak about it. Either it is not the right moment, she doesn’t have the words, or she mourns the lost time with her child and knows there is no point in losing any further time in arguments and bad feeling.
As a result of the unspoken conversation, there is a sense Monica will never really have any closure with her mother. At best, all she will have is a little extra time, but it won’t be what it could have been had the estrangement never happened.
The way this is dealt with in the movie makes for compelling viewing, and adds a great deal of reality to the film. Too many LGBTQ+ people lose precious time with their once nearest and dearest because of unresolved issues, and Monica brings this to the forefront of the story.
All the way through Monica there is the feeling this is a very personal tale. In terms of the way the movie is shot, staged, and presented, everything comes across as very intimate, often quite raw, and always emotionally charged.
Monica is a slow-burning film, but one with much to say. I expect it will connect strongly with many members of the queer community who have experienced a similar situation to the one Monica faces, and it will hit deeply.
But I also expect many non-LGBTQ+ audiences will find themselves on familiar ground too, if they have also experienced estrangement from a parent or close family member. While Monica is a tale about a trans woman, and it depicts her journey, the beauty of this movie is the way in which it can easily represent a large cross-section of people, not just exclusively those who are trans.
Monica is a well-crafted, thoughtful and insightful picture which deals with a difficult and emotional subject matter. It says a lot about the relationship between two people, often without saying very much at all, and it does so with a great degree of care.
Monica is very much a film about human interactions and the way in which many of us make mistakes and often struggle to rectify a situation, even when given the opportunity to do so. It is picture which is not about the argument, or about the fall-out, but about what happens when the dust settles.
If this sounds like your sort of movie, then be sure to take a look. Monica lands just before Christmas, so don’t let it get lost amongst all of the festivities and family films that crop up at this time of year.
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