Different For Girls (1997)

Rupert Graves and Steven Mackintosh

Two very different boys develop a close friendship at school.Karl, a very shy and feminine boy and Paul, a tough, rough kid with an attitude.

Fifteen years later they meet up by chance, Paul Prentice is a motorcycle courier who has tried a host of jobs and been successful at none of them, he's still mentally fifteen years old and still painfully 'yobbish'.

Karl is now 'Kim' a post operative transexual with a good job and a nice flat, but still the fear that something will upset her world and bring it crashing down on top of her.

Though the strains of friendship are still there, Paul finds it difficult at first to accept that his 'mate' is now an attractive woman.

Review

This was one of those movies that I approached with trepidation and if I am to be truthful, I only gave it a go because Rupert Graves plays Paul Prentice and he happens to be sex on legs!

I was pleasently surprised, it's a sweet and touching movie when you get past the quite irritable immaturity of Prentice.

Steven Mackintosh is quite wonderful as Kim, he plays the character with just enough discomfort to show how we as 'ordinary' people treat transexuals and can leap to conclusions based on ignorance.

It's flawed...yes, everything happens just a little fast and we have to take a leap of faith in believing that an immature man like Prentice can move past his ingrained prejudices after proclaiming 'I am *straight* you know?' to Kim after she tries to kiss him goodnight, to which she beautifully replies 'So am I!' and falls in love with her.

But this is a feel good movie that leaves you smiling and in these days of depressing cinema, that in itself is good enough for me!