***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.

A slender allegory of Greek mythology's blind sex-shifting seer Tiresias, Bertrand Bonello's film might be a lot more enjoyable if it didn't strive so hard to be art.Tiresia is a Brazilian transsexual prostitute living illegally in Paris who is kidnapped by a psychopath with poet pretensions.Deprived of hormones, he reverts to the masculine (a female actor plays Tiresia 'before' and a male 'after'), is capriciously blinded by his captor and left for dead in remote woods. Found by a quiet country girl, Tiresia recovers and becomes a local legend after apparently transforming into an oracle with the ability to see the future.Cutting between the two actors in the lead seems an unnecessary contrivance, but isn't as confusing as sinister Laurent Lucas playing both the abductor and the parish priest who later persecutes Tiresia (but as both have a fetish for roses, maybe they're meant to be the same person?).A largely glacial pace and inserted footage of roiling lava rivers with excerpts of Beethoven's 7th Symphony thundering on the soundtrack signal Bonello's push for profundity but it's still an intriguing film with plenty of ideas and themes to examine.

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