Review of Soldier's Girl (2003) by Ashley T — 25 Mar 2009

This Showtime telefilm shares many story elements with Shakespeare's tragic Romeo and Juliet, but it takes it several steps further than even the Bard would dare to go, and it's a also a true story.

In 1999, a US infantry soldier was brutally murdered for his love affair with a transgendered club performer. Rather than focus on the obvious politics, the filmmakers create a beautiful and intimate love story.

With the co-operation of the real-life subjects, the script is handled tastefully, and the performers refuse to exploit their characters, instead exploring their complexity and developing electric chemistry in each of their relationships.