Starring: Sophie Hyde
52 Tuesdays
Director: Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Del Herbert-Jane
Rating: 4/5
Sophie Hyde is no stranger to the director's chair with documentary and short projects under her belt, but 52 Tuesdays marks her feature film directorial debut - it really is one debuts of the year so far.
16-year-old Billie's reluctant path to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans for gender transition and their time together becomes limited to Tuesday afternoons. Filmed over the course of a year, once a week, every week - only on Tuesdays - these unique filmmaking rules bring a rare authenticity to this emotionally charged story of desire, responsibility, and transformation.
What I loved most about 52 Tuesdays is that it is a movie about people and relationships. This so easily could have been a preachy 'issues film', instead, the director has created and intimate and real world that is as sensitive as it is funny.
Don't get me wrong, 52 Tuesdays does tackle some important issues; the transgender process and the family of that individual accepting the person that they become, but there is some so refreshing in the way that this story has been told.
52 Tuesdays is a movie that deals with the issue of transgender with real intelligence, sensitivity and grace and you really end up going on a very intimate and touching journey with the central characters Billie and James.
As well as being a story about transgender, it is also a wonderful coming of age story and Tilda Cobham-Hervey gives a stunning performance in the central role of Billie - it is hard to believe that was her acting debut.
It is the relationship between Billie and her mother, played by Del Herbert-Jane, that is this film's core and driving force. It is a relationship that is shifting and ever evolving and you almost feel like you are intruding on their lives as they try to deal with what is happening to them.
Del Herbert-Jane is equally as inexperienced as Cobham-Hervey, and yet her performance as James as she brings this transition to life. It is a wonderful performance from start to finish.
Hyde shot this film in a rather unconventional way; filming only on a Tuesday, ever week, for a year and yet, it has given the director and the actors chance to really delve into these characters to explore them and their core relationships.
It is exciting that Hyde has explored the nature of filmmaking in this way and it has resulted in a terrific film - it also shows that you don't need a big budget and a formulaic shooting schedule to create something really special.
52 Tuesdays is out now.