Venus

Life is about to change�big time for Sid (Debargo Sanyal), and not all of it is of his choosing. Recovering from the breakup from a closeted boyfriend (Pierre-Yves Cardinal), Sid has decided it's now time to start transitioning. Step one: Dress like a woman in public and start taking hormones.

If that isn't unsettling enough, a 14-year-old�boy called Ralph (Jamie Myers) turns up on Sid's doorstep and claims that Sid is his father.�Evidently, Sid had a quick fling�in high school with the mother. He only did this, he admits�to his best friend, as a means to sleep with her more attractive brother. Ralph thinks it's very cool that his biological father is an Asian Indian transwoman, and is even more excited when he gets to meet his traditional Punjabi grandparents.�

Sid's parents are still trying to get their�head�around the�transition�("I want my son back!" the mother cries), but they welcome their�first grandchild with open arms.�The only�fly in the ointment is that�Ralph, even though�he claims otherwise, has not let on to his mother that he is now seeing his father and grandparents on a regular basis.�

After a chance meeting in the park, Daniel begs to be taken back claiming he will now love Sid for who she really is, and Sid finds it too tough to refuse his come-to-bed eyes, even though she knows she will regret it sooner rather than later.

"Venus" is the�first narrative feature from Canadian writer-director Eisha Marjara, and it's a touching crowd-pleaser of a movie. Kudos to Marjara for not making the transgender strand of the story melodramatic, as often is the case, and especially�for making�Ralph's acceptance of the situation so non-judgemental, as only a child would do.

However, what takes this movie�to whole new level�is the�pitch-perfect performance�of Sanyal, which is an absolute�joy to watch. He avoids all the�cliches of over-playing his intriguing character, giving her such dignity and a presence that she lights up the screen in all her scenes. Sandal is a truly�gifted comic actor.