Boys Don't Cry

The tragic true-life case history of Teena Brandon, a young girl from Nebraska who disguised herself as a man and was brutally raped and murdered in 1993, is compassionately brought to the screen by writer/director Kimberly Peirce. However, while Oscar-winner Hilary Swank gives a remarkable performance as the hero(ine), there's an exploitative sordidness to the enterprise that limits our sympathy. (Brandon's girlfriend Lana, portrayed here by Chloe Sevigny, tried to stop the film's release.) Not since The Accused has rape been shown so savagely on screen — though this, of course, is hardly a recommendation. Indeed, the ugliness of the film's conclusion is severely at odds with the genuinely touching scenes between Swank and Sevigny that precede it. Still, it's a brave and important work.

Abrasive, jolting drama of shock and outrage, more disturbing than the grisliest horror movie because, based on fact, it exposes a desperation at the heart of America.