Jump to the good stuff: The Review | The Final Verdict
The Review:
Mutt is a film about 24 hours in the life of a transgender man.
The film focuses on the hours before and after Feña (Lío Mehiel) has to pick up his estranged father from the airport. In that twenty-four-hour period, Feña interacts with three generations: his father, Pablo (Alejandro Goic); his straight ex-boyfriend, John (Cole Doman); and his fourteen-year-old sister, Zoe (MiMi Ryder).
Since none of the three people have seen Feña since he started to transition, we get their reactions and some insight on how they handle the situation. Pablo is older and has difficulty accepting his son for who he is. Pablo comes from a generation where you have to follow rules or hide who you are. Because of this, he has difficulty with the love he has for his son and understanding him.
The very opposite of Pablo is Feña’s younger sister, who doesn’t even flinch when she hears that her brother is transgender. Her generation is much more accepting and understanding of people from other walks of life. This isn’t the case for Feña’s age group, so by the time Zoe shows up, we’ve heard a woman ask Feña if he has a penis, and his father want to know how he’ll recognize him at the airport. Sadly, these are the situations that Feña’s use to, so when he tells Zoe that he’s transgender and she shrugs it off, he doesn’t know how to respond.
John represents Feña’s generation, and this story is the most interesting. John and Feña dated pre-transition and had a tumultuous relationship. It’s not easy going when they meet up at a club again. The initial conversation is forced, with Feña doing most of the talking. And as they become comfortable with each other, the complications of who they were and who they are now begins to show. It’s an interesting and complicated story that could easily be its own film.
Because Mutt is a realistic slice of life, the stories aren’t necessarily resolved at the end.
The Final Verdict:
Vuk Lungulov-Klotz wrote and directed this interesting slice of life drama. The characters and situations all ring true. The script and plot are given enough thought that it never feels preachy or heavy handed.
Mutt doesn’t define its characters as good or bad, opting instead for that difficult gray area. And because of that, it shines.
