***SPOILERS***Very loosely based on the Greek myth of Tiresias, Tiresia is a non-op transgender woman and prostitute. The plot is really harrowing. Tiresia is forced into prostitution by her own brother, kidnapped by an "admirer" who is apparently a rose-loving priest, tied up, isolated, blinded by her captor having her eyes punctured with a sharp instrument, dumped and left for dead, nursed back to health (albeit permanently blind) by a young woman who eventually turns out to be an opportunist, and finally killed by the apparently-selfsame priest. Through all of this vile treatment, she tries to make the best of things. In return for her inhumane treatment, the gods grant her a gift. I don't feel this movie had much to say. It just seems to be a catalog of atrocities visited on a human being. There are some inaccuracies concerning the transgender experience - or at least she is not typical of transgender women - in that I don't believe even a blinded transgender woman would wish to have her hair cut or wish to discontinue hormones and live as male or even androgyne. It is not clear that transgender Tiresia is in fact transsexual per se, but she is constantly referred to as transsexual. (She is not a transvestite though, since she takes hormones.) The movie is haunting, and it does not demean transgender people and Tiresia will be a sympathetic character to many, if only because she is a victim who, mostly, refuses to let this define her, a person who tries to adapt.

Yesterday I saw "Tiresia" and I do not know what kind of magic this movie has to be so attractive. I saw six times the introduction, with the awesome allegro of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 and only lava on the screen. The story is very weird, beginning with in the red light district of Paris, with many travesties, most of them Brazilian and speaking Portuguese, "working" on the street, and a sick guy wandering around the prostitutes. The strange voyeur kidnaps a Brazilian travesty and brings him home without having sex, recalling William Wyler's "The Collector". In this part, there is an explicit frontal nudity of the homosexual in a very shocking and dramatic scene but never aggressive. Then the movie becomes cruel, and the identity of the abductor is disclosed and the story has a strong plot point, like in David Lynch's "Lost Highway". Although being very irregular, this last part also hooks the attention of the viewer until the very last scene. "Tiresia" is bizarre, impressive, intriguing and attractive, but recommended for very specific audiences only. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Tiresia"

Why did this film keep me up until 6 AM this morning?? Why is this film still playing over in my head? The plot(based on a Greek mythological tale) in itself is conceptually humanistic, and decidedly modern in its themes. The plot plays out in a modest tempo, allowing the viewer to soak it all in. The film has a multitude of richness. Something shines, something shocks, something frightens, something speaks, something is seen. One of the most interesting works of cinema I have seen in a number of years, Tiresia is a challenging, disturbing yet rewarding watch. The visual language is compelling(some scenes are staged to look like an oil painting painted by Velasquez taking a surrealistic turn, others look like sketches from a Dali nightmare) but the real heart of the film beats out of the sublime performances. Brave actors who put their bodies and soul on display. Parts of the film leave you feeling voyeuristic, like watching something you know you shouldn't be but can't turn away from. Highly Recommended for those who prefer a steak of a film to a bucket of stale popcorn.

VERY MINOR SPOILERSI am excited for two reasons - first, having moved to France I can now drown myself in French cinema. Secondly, this may be the first time that I have been the first to comment on a movie for IMDB. I might even actually be convincing you cinema-goers out there to see a film that I liked. How wonderfully,innocently exciting.And, yes - I am trying to persuade you to see this film. Watching Tiresia is not an easy Sunday night at your local multiplex, but it is a good film.Shocking, disturbing, horrifying in places, Tiresia is suberbly acted by a strong cast, with special note to both actors in the eponymous role. In places the camerawork is a little shoddy but this is easily overcome with dramatic set pieces and chilling imagery that will leave you with nightmares for weeks. Trust me.Tiresia, the story, is of a transexual prostitute who is captured and brutally stabbed, to survive and rebuild what remains of this character's seemingly hopeless existence. However the beauty in this film is not to be found in its story, but in the incredible transformation of Tiresia. Without wishing to reveal too much, watch carefully as the director forces us to see Tiresia change.I highly recommend this film, although you rednecks and scousers out there (you know who u are)might not find it at your local cinema. Hunt it down where you can. 8/10