Punctuated by fantasy musical sequences, this fanciful coming-of-age story set in 1970’s Rome, is seen through the eyes of Adriana, a 12-year-old transgender teenager who would rather be called Andrea (a masculine Italian name) and sneaks off for secret rendezvous with a Romani girl who accepts his identity. Aside from his own acts of rebellion, Andrea watches over his younger siblings and remains protective of his mother Clara who suffers psychological and physical abuse at the hands of her philandering husband Felice while she tries to remain optimistic despite her deepening depression. In her role as Clara, Penelope Cruz brings that classic Art House film glamour to match both the surrealistic fantasy elements of Fellini and the introspective minimalist elements of Antonioni.
