14 year old Ulysses lives with his younger brother and mother after his father recently passed away. His conservative aunt Rose is helping them out at home with chores and food while the mother is at work. Ulysses is constantly bullied for his feminine characteristics. One night Ulysses ventures out into the city and meets a group of transgender and gay individuals, who take him to 'Saturday Church' a program run at a local church to feed and provide shelter for LGBT youth. Ulysses gets attracted to Raymond and the feeling is mutual. But when Aunt Rose sees high-heels on him, she beats him and ulysses runs away from home. But since it is Wednesday, he doesn't find any of his friends to help him. Ulysses spends the night at a homeless shelter and the next day, he prostitutes himself to an older man for food and money. On Saturday, when he returns to church, his friends are shocked to see him. They offer a place to stay, but Ulysses wants to see his mother. So Ebony, one of his friends takes him home. Once back home, Aunt Ebony not only insult Ebony but also blames the mother for not making her son man enough. The mother throws rose out and the next day, Amara reassures Ulysses that her love for him is unconditional. With newfound confidence, in an amazing last scene of the film, Ulysses prepares to vogue in drag in a ballroom scene club.
With his delicate, angular features and piercing eyes, the actor playing ulysses is a compelling central presence, whose warm home life is shaken by the death of his serviceman father. He is simply amazing. with sensitivity we see how Ulysses is hungry for self discovery and acceptance. He secretly wears his mother's stockings and bears the insults and bullying in school locker room. The friendly faces and friends who eventually become ulysses support in Manhattan will remind you of the series Pose. All the actors do a great supportive job of being there for Ulysses and gradually introducing him to the gay world, voguing, clubs and a lipstick. The smile on his face, when he first puts the lipstick on just melts your heart. I loved the gentle flirtation between Raymond and Ulysses. It was understated but perfect. As I mentioned above, the songs in the film just fit perfect. All of these songs are performed with an urgent need to express, and it is that urgency I remember, not the tunes or the lyrics. They come straight from the heart. This film is a must watch for its delicate portrayal of LGBT youth facing criticism of all kinds and for the absolutely wonderful performance of its lead actor.
Ulysses is a stand-in for all LGBTQ teens, and his experience shows how at-risk they are. If it weren't for the various clubhouse scenes in New York, many of these kids would never get a hot meal at all. (7.5/10)
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