Hi everyone!

We’re closing out the week with another entry in our series, Under the Kanopy. Kanopy is a library and university funded streaming service that grants card holders six free streams a month, featuring a combination of classic, mainstream, independent, and international films. They currently have streaming deals with some of our favorite distributors, like A24 and Kino Lorber, which offer the critically acclaimed, if not commercially successful films. Today’s film was initially produced by the CBC and distributed by Gravitas Ventures, and follows the touching story of transgender powerlifter Janae Kroczaleski, while also showing just how far we have to go in society for fuller transgender acceptance. My review will be up in a minute.

Before the review, we’ll have a promo from our good friends at the Book of Lies Podcast. Every week, Brandi Fleeks and Sunni Hepburn take a look at a fraud case or famous con artist, breaking down the methods, the signals, and how to spot similar scams in your life. You can find them on Twitter @Bookofliespod and on Facebook and Instagram @bookofliespodcast. Be sure to like, retweet, share, review, and subscribe!

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Here we go!

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<< BOOK OF LIES PROMO >>

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Today’s movie is TRANSFORMER(2017), the documentary directed by Michael Del Monte and written for the screen in collaboration with Samuel Fussell and Paul Kemp. The film follows the true story of Janae Marie Kroczaleski, as she manages her transition in the wake of being outed as transgender in 2015. In the face of direct and subtle discrimination, she reflects on her past, present, and future in a rapidly changing world, in an effort to ultimately find herself. One day.

No spoilers.

I can remember the first time I saw a transgender character on the big screen, and it wasn’t a good one – 1994’s ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE. One of the main characters is a transgender woman, who kisses Ace Ventura, and Ace’s reaction upon learning she is transgender is to go through an elaborate comedic take on THE CRYING GAME, another less than desirable portrayal of transgender women. In fact, nearly every portrayal of transgender women in Hollywood perpetuates one or more common stereotypes: either the helpless victim, or the sexual deviant, or the comic relief, or the flamboyant cross-dresser. Thankfully, it was also around this time that there were more positive, realistic roles about transgender characters, especially 1996’s THE BIRDCAGE, one of my favorite films not just for excellent performances by Williams and Lane, but because it was the first film that challenged me directly to reconsider my notions of the LGBTQ community.

I mention these films because they are the same portrayals of transgender women that were most prominent while Janae, then Matt, was serving in the Marines and participated in powerlifting tournaments, while struggling with her identity. And it wasn’t just on the big screen, but multiple unflattering portrayals and outright mockery on the small screen, within stand-up comedian sets, along with the very real violence against transgender women in the news that most folks overlooked. Janae talks a lot about her own struggles, but also the social pressures her three sons might face. No one but the transgender community understands this feeling, but Janae’s story in TRANSFORMER will help the cis community to understand it a little bit more, especially in our rapidly changing world.

I’d like to believe we can all live in a society where people are free to be who they want to be, as long as it isn’t hurting anyone else. I know we don’t live in that pluralistic utopia, but we have come a long way towards it compared to a hundred years ago. It doesn’t stop me from still believing we can’t get there fast enough. Movies and television shows have done a lot to help with this acceptance, not just featuring more realistic and complex depictions of transgender characters, but also more normalized depictions that blend in rather than stand out. We’re also getting a lot more of the unvarnished history of the transgender experience, with multiple documentaries about Stonewall, including THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON (2017), and the New York drag scene in 1990’s PARIS IS BURNING.

TRANSFORMER takes us into another corner of the transgender experience, with a mixture of elements common to many transgender stories, along with the unique experiences that Janae has. In her own words, she describes being pulled between training as a bulked-up powerlifter and wanting to feel comfortable with herself as a woman, a seemingly impossible mix. Not because there isn’t a transgender powerlifting scene; we’re actually introduced to that community in parts of this documentary. It’s seemingly impossible because other people still have trouble accepting her life, which ultimately makes it hard for Janae to accept herself. It doesn’t matter if that’s Janae’s physique that puts some women off, or if that’s cis powerlifters laughing uncomfortably while stumbling over pronouns. Or how members of her own family treat her, including her two ex-wives. We may have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.

Perhaps the worst part about Janae’s story is what became part of the impetus for this very project. In 2015, Janae was outed in an internet video which was doing side-by-sides of photos of Matt and photos of an Instagram account Janae was using privately. Janae used the admission to come out, but it was overshadowed by the media storm surrounding Caitlin Jenner’s coming out, which also brought all the thinly-veiled transphobic stereotypes back out. Outing someone is probably the worst thing you can do for someone in the LGBTQ community, because it’s not just the person you affect, but their family and possibly their friends, and that’s doubly so for someone who is transgender. I’m glad to see Janae take control of her story, even as she struggles to understand it, which ultimately ends up being a positive affirmation.

Technically speaking, TRANSFORMER is a nice combination of archived footage and naturally filmed interviews with Janae, her family, and her friends. Some of the captured scenes can feel staged, especially filming Janae out on the town with friends, or when they visit Jane’s family to learn about their feelings, but that comes with the territory of similar documentaries which shadow their subjects. Director Del Monte also captures some classic lifting shots, often used for transitions between segments, and some important shots about transitioning, like doctor’s appointments and surgeries. When it all comes together, it succeeds in telling Janae’s story, and when it’s all over, I couldn’t help but want to give her a big hug, just to let her know she’s loved and accepted for who she is, wherever that journey takes her.

TRANSFORMER is a powerful documentary about transgender powerlifter Janae Marie Kroczaleski, produced in the wake of being outed in 2015. We learn about Janae’s history, her current joys and struggles, and her hopes and fears for the future. Her story is both similar to other transgender experiences, and unique to her particular experiences. Documentary fans, or folks looking to understand the transgender experience, should definitely check out this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 100% 

Metacritic: 78 

One Movie Punch: 8.0/10

TRANSFORMER (2017) is not rated and is currently streaming on Kanopy and Netflix.