I'm going to be honest, I put of watching this movie for several months for multiple reasons, the most important one being the fact that I was unsure if I would even enjoy "Romeos".
I'm a gay transman myself and let's be honest, there aren't a lot of movies who even deal with transgender issues, yet alone the issues gay transmen face. (At this point I'd like to point out that the right word to use in this context is either "trans" or "transgender", most of the reviews on here use the word "trangendered", which is incorrect, in the same way a blind person is not "blinded". Anyway, moving on...)
I won't summarize the plot, considering it is probably the weakest aspect of the movie. To put it simple: It's a love story with lots of teenage drama. Instead I would like to emphasize that I was honestly impressed by Rick Okon's work as an actor. Sure, I would have preferred an actor who's actually trans, but I still thought Okon's performance was great. It was obvious that this was a role he really prepared for, the awkward posture is something I always catch myself doing, it was almost a perfect reenactment.
Most other issues for transmen were also portrayed accurately, constant fear of being found out, people accusing you of being egoistic, stupid questions, having to fight for your rights etc. Yes, some of it was different from my own experience, but that's the thing, there is not one universal experience. (However, two things were simply wrong/outdated. First, transmen usually don't do their own shots in Germany but have it mostly done by a nurse, but I suppose doing your own shots seems "cooler". Second, you can now change your gender marker without any surgeries, but this might have not been the case when the movie was released.)
The only thing I truly disliked was the constant focus on sex. Yes, the gay scene can be quite sexual, but there are obviously lots of gay men who think differently. Oh, and another things: There are definitely better ways to flatten your chest. I was constantly frustrated because the binder Lukas used was just horrible. I suppose it would have erased some of the plot points but it was just frustrating to watch, knowing that there are way better and more functioning alternatives.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie, especially to someone who has little knowledge of transgender issues.
I'm a gay transman myself and let's be honest, there aren't a lot of movies who even deal with transgender issues, yet alone the issues gay transmen face. (At this point I'd like to point out that the right word to use in this context is either "trans" or "transgender", most of the reviews on here use the word "trangendered", which is incorrect, in the same way a blind person is not "blinded". Anyway, moving on...)
I won't summarize the plot, considering it is probably the weakest aspect of the movie. To put it simple: It's a love story with lots of teenage drama. Instead I would like to emphasize that I was honestly impressed by Rick Okon's work as an actor. Sure, I would have preferred an actor who's actually trans, but I still thought Okon's performance was great. It was obvious that this was a role he really prepared for, the awkward posture is something I always catch myself doing, it was almost a perfect reenactment.
Most other issues for transmen were also portrayed accurately, constant fear of being found out, people accusing you of being egoistic, stupid questions, having to fight for your rights etc. Yes, some of it was different from my own experience, but that's the thing, there is not one universal experience. (However, two things were simply wrong/outdated. First, transmen usually don't do their own shots in Germany but have it mostly done by a nurse, but I suppose doing your own shots seems "cooler". Second, you can now change your gender marker without any surgeries, but this might have not been the case when the movie was released.)
The only thing I truly disliked was the constant focus on sex. Yes, the gay scene can be quite sexual, but there are obviously lots of gay men who think differently. Oh, and another things: There are definitely better ways to flatten your chest. I was constantly frustrated because the binder Lukas used was just horrible. I suppose it would have erased some of the plot points but it was just frustrating to watch, knowing that there are way better and more functioning alternatives.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie, especially to someone who has little knowledge of transgender issues.
