Tracey (film) explained

Tracey
Native Name:
Child:yes
Hide:no
Header:none
T:翠絲
S:翠丝
P:Cuì Sī
J:Ceoi3 Si1
Director:Jun Li
Producer:Shu Kei
Jacqueline Liu
Screenplay:Shu Kei
Erica Li
Jun Li
Starring:Philip Keung
Kara Wai
Music:Otomo Yoshihide
Cinematography:Tam Wan-kai
Editing:Li Ko
Studio:One Cool Film Production
PJ One Cool Film
Sun Entertainment Culture
Big Honor Entertainment
Hong Music Venue
Distributor:One Cool Pictures
Runtime:119 minutes
Country:Hong Kong
Language:Cantonese

Tracey is a 2018 Hong Kong drama film written and directed by Jun Li and starring Philip Keung as the titular protagonist, a 51-year-old married man and father whose craving for feminization increases, leading him to transition from male to female both mentally and physically. Filming for Tracey began on 5 December 2017 and the film premiered at the 2018 Tokyo International Film Festival on 28 October 2018 before it was theatrically released on 22 November 2018 in Hong Kong.

Plot

Travis Tung's family consists of wife Anne, son Vincent, and daughter Brigitte (who lives with her husband Jeffrey). Vincent describes his mother as having mysophobia and being racist against their housekeeper. She prohibits sex in the house, which is interesting as she and her husband sleep in separate rooms. After going to work, Tung secretly changes into women's underwear underneath their clothing.

While taking their dog Bowie (named after the singer) for a walk, Tung thinks they spot an old friend and chases after them, only to find that Bowie has succumbed to an unknown illness. The family is distraught at their dog's death, and a pregnant Brigitte stays the night, citing that she doesn't want to wake up her husband.

It is revealed that Tung's childhood friend, Ko Ching, has died overseas. With friend Chi Chun, Tung goes to the airport to pick up Bond Tann, Ching's husband. Bond has had trouble at customs as security has taken away Ching's ashes. Bond comments that Hong Kong is a "backwards country" due to its discrimination on sexuality. Tung states that they will ask their son-in-law for legal advice as he is a lawyer.

At a small performance of an opera troupe, including their wife Anne, Tung sees the old friend for the first time in decades. Fa Yim-hung, known affectionately as Brother Darling, is a Cantonese actor who was famous for playing women's roles in operas. They knew each other when Tung was younger, working in a restaurant with Brother Darling. Tung recalls an incident in which there was a "peeper" in the ladies' room, only it was actually Brother Darling. Brother Darling reveals that they cannot pee standing up because although they were "born with a male body", they are actually a woman.

Back at home, the family argues about Brigitte's options because Jeffrey has been unfaithful. She is considering abortion and divorce, but Anne insists that sh will have nothing if she leaves her husband. Vincent leaves to be with his girlfriend, a tattoo artist, who says that she gets this artwork done on herself because "my body belongs to me."

Tung visits Bond at his hotel room to find him sobbing. They cry together on opposite sides of the door before coming together. They reminisce about Ching, discovering that Tung and him had a requited love at their age but never acted upon it. Bond and Tung kiss, Bond unbuttoning Tung's shirt to find women's lingerie. Embarrassed, Tung leaves in a hurry.

Bond and Tung later reconvene at a pond where the three friends used to meet all the time. Tung comes out to him there, saying, "I am a woman, not outside, but deep inside." Tung knew they were different at an early age, but at first thought they were gay. When they discovered their gender identity, Tung thought they couldn't be with Ching because he was a gay man and wouldn't see them as a woman. Tung used to stuff bras, wear women's underwear, and tuck in secret, stating "I detested my body" and that "when there are things you can't contain, you look for substitutes", citing peeing while sitting down and their habit of changing into women's lingerie at work. When Tung's father was murdered, they were forced to become the "man" of the house.

Back at home, Anne reveals that she has found receipts from the women's lingerie store that Tung frequents. Tung tries lying, saying they're for their mother, then for Brother Darling, but ultimately assuages her when they say that they're not gay.

Tung, Bond, and Chun go to sea to spread Ching's ashes. There, Tung comes out to Chun, who accepts them and Ching's homosexuality.

Tung introduces Bond and Chun to Brother Darling. They decide to have makeovers and head to a club as trans women in full hair and dress. Both Tung and Brother Darling are having the time of their lives and Brother Darling exclaims that "I can finally use the ladies' room!" Unfortunately, Brother Darling passes out in the bathroom and the group has to rush her to the hospital. Entering the taxi, Tung and her son Vincent see each other before leaving. Brother Darling has died. Vincent is actively ignoring Tung's messages, when his girlfriend calls out his hypocrisy: "So it's okay for others to be gay, but not your own family."

Tung goes home, still in full women's wear, and tries to come out to Anne, but she becomes hostile and insists that Tung is just sick and being selfish. Distraught, Tung attempts to cut off her genitalia to no avail.

Time jump to seven months later: Brigitte has had her child and Tung is now a grandmother. Tung goes to Anne's latest performance on Vincent's advice. Anne still refuses to sign the divorce papers and laments to her son, "why force me to accept this?"

Another seven months have passed, and Tung has undergone gender affirmation surgery, stating, "Farewell Travis Tung". She is now Tracey, named after her mother. Tracey and Bond reconvene after a gallery and become physically intimate. Tracey visits her blind mother, who says, "Male or female, you're always my child."

Cast

Production

Principal photography for Tracey began on 5 December 2017.[1] [2] Philip Keung, who plays the title character, originally felt he was unable to grasp the role of a transgender woman and wanted to decline it, but changed his mind after doing research and meeting with real life transgender people and felt they had many stories that need to be told.[3] Keung also revealed that during filming, he would wear see-through clothes when he went out to the streets to see how pedestrians would react to him.[4]

Release

The film released its first teaser trailer and poster at the 2018 Hong Kong Filmart on 18 March 2018. The poster, which features Keung wearing a blouse and pantyhose, attracted strong attention on the internet, with many internet users praising Keung's look and anticipating his performance in the film.[5]

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, Tracey has an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of .[6]

Elizabeth Kerr of The Hollywood Reporter praises the film's high production standards and its moving and thought-provoking drama, as well as the performances by Philip Keung, Kara Wai and Ben Yuen.[7] Edmund Lee of the South China Morning Post gave the film a score of 4/5 stars praising the acting performances and nuanced writing.[8]

Awards and nominations

CeremonyCategoryRecipientResults
37th Hong Kong Film AwardsBest ActorPhilip Keung
Best Supporting ActorBen Yuen
Best Supporting ActressKara Wai
Best ScreenplayShu Kei, Erica Li, Jun Li
Best New DirectorJun Li
Best Art DirectionIrving Cheung
Best Costume Make Up DesignIrving Cheung
Best Original Film ScoreOtomo Yoshihide
Best Original Film SongSong: TraceyComposer/Lyricist/Singer: Panther Chan
55th Golden Horse AwardsBest Supporting ActorBen Yuen
Best Supporting ActressKara Wai
25th Hong Kong Film Critics Society AwardBest ActorPhilip Keung
Ben Yuen
13th Asian Film AwardsBest Supporting ActorRiver Huang
Best Supporting ActressKara Wai
2nd Kongest Film AwardsBest ActorBen Yuen
Best ActressKara Wai
My Favorite Hong Kong FilmTracey

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 孖惠英紅演夫妻 姜皓文挑戰扮變性人.
  2. Web site: Philip Keung plays transgender in new movie "Tracy".
  3. Web site: 【姜皓文專訪】新戲《翠絲》出盡力演變性人:實有一半人唔鍾意. 4 May 2018.
  4. Web site: 姜皓文演跨性別人士 感謝老婆包容:大膽到偷老婆底褲著. 21 March 2018.
  5. Web site: 【翠絲.有片】姜皓文性感內衣加絲襪 網民讚變性人造型:好索呀. 18 March 2018.
  6. Web site: Tracey. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. .
  7. Web site: 'Tracey' ('Chui-see'): Film Review. The Hollywood Reporter. 9 November 2018.
  8. News: Tracey film review: Philip Keung mesmerising in Hong Kong transgender drama. 21 November 2018. South China Morning Post. Edmund. Lee. 3 November 2022.