To Die Like a Man

Director: João Pedro Rodrigues
Year Released: 2009
Rating: 1.5

Fourth rate Almodóvar. A transvestite (Fernando Santos), saving up for his sex-change operation, has to contend with a young lover that's a destructive junkie, his boss who wants to replace him, a long-lost son who just killed a man and, unfortunately, a serious illness that's about to take his life. Disorganized and oddly paced, this seems like it could have used some trimming and rearranging in the editing room; Rodrigues is prone to 'artistic' asides and musical numbers that interrupt the rhythm and come across as being out of place. When Santos' character ends up in the grave, it's almost a sigh of relief and not really a moment of tragedy. Intriguingly, there are no actual biological women in this; it's all men in drag. Did John Waters watch this ... ?