Paul Prentice (Rupert Graves) is a blokey guy. Kim (Steven Mackintosh) is a conservative woman. If that wasn't enough to complicate a romance, Kim used to be Karl, Prentice's schoolfriend.The premise could have been used to make a serious drama but refreshingly it becomes a light-hearted quirky rom-com, which isn't afraid to deal with the complications of being transsexual. A previous reviewer quoted the dialogue about Prentice and Kim both being straight. The way the film deals with the subject shows that this is a normal relationship and whatever Kim was in the past does not matter. The uncertainty of both characters is touching and both actors pull off challenging roles.Although when Kim strips naked, Mackintosh looks too masculine to be entirely believable, it shows that you don't need to have a perfect body. It's all about the love.Yes, perhaps this could have made a good drama- the police corruption adds that dramatic element- but the endearing clumsiness of the rom-com coupled with a 'taboo' topic really makes you think about what gender really means. It's a short film too, so worth a watch.

Missed this first time round, but unintentionally caught a late night/early hours TV airing in the UK. Steve Mackintosh sustains a serious dramatic presence and role as Kim against the heavily scripted comedic/stereotype 'unreformed male' buffoonery of the friend/partner Paul Prentice played by Rupert Graves. Although at times the dynamic of the two styles gives an uneven feel to the whole narrative, the underlying point of apparent complete contrasts, but underlying and overlapping commonality of involvement and feeling is well made. Some of the scenes are intensely moving, particularly those in the police station when Kim is facing arrest and conviction and is placed alone in a cell, uncertain of whether she will face the immediate unwelcome company of another unknown male cellmate, and/or eventual consignment to a male prison. This is hardly comedy, certainly real life drama, and contains the essence of real tragedy. Other scenes in the film evoke similar high tensions in emotional colour and reading. Overall delivery was a little uneven, but well worth viewing again. Would be worth a full 'in-line drama' remake of the theme, as other commentators have also hinted. A good attempt at a very difficult subject which manages to hit the right emotional responses without actually falling off the tightrope between banality and exploitation.

Predictable like an unsalted Saltine, this movie takes what could have been a rich an entertaining story and creates an intriguing blend of indifference.Unsurprises meet us at every turn. Boy meets... uh, Girl. Boy loses Girl. Boy wins Girl story. The mere addition of a post-op TS does not make for a compelling movie. Add on top of that bland performances by the title characters with all the dynacism of a glass of prune juice. And the extraneous plot lines of their work, his girlfriend (wouldn't you have liked to see a confrontation here?) and her relationship with her sister's family are just as undeveloped, if not vacuous.Maybe this is a tour de force for post-ops everywhere, but it's really tour de flat.If not for the music, it would be among the worst movies I have ever seen. Two stars out of Ten.

.SPOILER!!!! I saw the movie for the first time last night, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The performances by the two lead characters were not only believable, but touching as well.The most enjoyable aspect of the movie (and what could easily be missed if you miss the shower scene at the very beginning of it) is the twist in the story at the very end. In the shower scene, we see a young Prentice coming to the defence of and comforting a schoolmate after being picked on by a group of bullies/students for being queer. The assumption is made that the boy Prentice "rescues" is Kim/Karl. However, we only realize near the end of the movie when Kim/Karl's before and after photos are published by the newspaper that he was actually NOT the rescued boy, but one of the bullies instead.All in all, the movie is a really good watch, and I would definitely see it again....