The film today centres on Patricia ‘Kitten’ Braden (Cillian
Murphy), a young trans lady searching for her mother against the backdrop of
Irish turmoil. Abandoned as a baby at the priest’s (Liam Neeson) door, the
priest sees to it that the child has a home. But in that home she’s rejected
because of who she is and so she leaves for London to find her mother. Not
particularly easy when all you have to go on are a name and the memory of someone
saying she looks like Mitzi Gaynor. The majority of the men she meets along the
way are awful and exploitative but some (like the womble Brendan Gleeson, the
police officer, or the philosophical bikers) try to help. While the conflict in
Ireland isn’t given the heaviest of attention it is used well throughout and
couples well with the main story.
After being screamed at by an angry prostitute, Kitten jumps
in the car of a seemingly well-meaning man. They chat about what she’s doing
and she says she’s looking for her mother, the Phantom Lady. She calls her that
so the whole thing sounds like a story that’s happening to someone else. Why? “Because
otherwise I might cry and never stop.” The whole film Kitten has this attitude
that shouts that she doesn’t care because she’s going to be who she’s going to
be and she’s happy with that. But at the heart of it is someone who is
desperately lonely and really wants their Mum. She’s constantly rejected, but
the first ever to reject her was her mother. And she wants so much to see her perhaps
to know she wouldn’t be rejected now, had her mother known the woman she’d
become. Despite always making sure her identity is clear, she hides behind a
fake name in order to meet her and never once admits to who she is. The
encounter isn’t long but she comes away finally meeting the person who gave her
up. She is married and has children so to all intents and purposes she appears
to have moved on past the birth of her first child. Kitten knows who her father
is, however, and knows he tried his hardest to help her so she returns to him.
In the face of adversity given who Kitten is, her father doesn’t let it bother
him even when he loses his home as a result. He stuck with her when her mother
could not and so she’s given up the dream of the Phantom Lady for the reality
of the person who stayed.
I still never understand those who react negatively to
others (be they trans, queer, etc.). Why is it so difficult to accept the
person before you as they present themselves? Why must you demand they be
different? The common consensus is fear, the type caused by not understanding.
I guess that makes sense. Someone told me today that God has a higher plan for
all of us and that he loves everyone unconditionally. Now I just don’t believe
that for a second. What is his plan for all this hate and violence? All the
bloodshed caused by a lack of unconditional love from his very own followers?
Where there are people, there is hate. They just can’t help themselves when it
comes to being truly awful to others and I really hope we can somehow escape
from it. But I don’t see it happening soon.
Really enjoyed the film despite having very little to say
about it. Would watch many times.
8/10
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