By Robert Yaniz Jr.

A moving portrait of transition, Transformer is far more than meets the eye.

Modern society has made tremendous progress when it comes to embracing the LGBTQ+ community, recognizing that everyone should be free to be whoever they truly are. However, there’s a flip side to this that must not be forgotten: that self-acceptance is just as, if not more, vital than being welcomed by others. This is the journey that Transformer taps into.

The film — written and directed by Michael Del Monte — tells the story of weightlifting champion Matt “Kroc” Kroczaleski and his transition into Janae Marie Kroczaleski. A former marine and record-holding athlete, Kroczaleski appeared to be the pinnacle of masculinity. Yet, she had spent much of her life feeling — as so many transgender people do — perpetually uncomfortable in her own skin. After getting publicly outed as transgender in the summer of 2015, Janae’s world, from her career to her personal life, began to crumble. She ultimately made the decision to finally pursue her lifelong goal of becoming a woman.

Of course, the contrast between Janae’s hyper-manly life as Matt and her desire to transition is a beautiful expression of just how isolating it can be for a transgender person to face the daunting and emotionally charged road of coming out and transitioning. The toll it takes on your family life, the strain it can have on your sense of self-worth and the struggle to let go of who you were and face who you truly are… It’s all apparent in Del Monte’s film and effectively heightened in Janae’s particular case.

Throughout the course of Transformer, the film touches on the support Janae receives from her sons, the effect on her weightlifting career and the varying degrees of disapproval she receives from her parents. It’s easy to empathize with her struggle to rise above all the negativity and remain true to herself. As one might expect, the film deals heavily with the concept of identity, following Janae as she attempts to find her way as a transgender woman. No matter how you look at it, Janae’s story is a powerful and inspiring one. Yet, this is in part where Transformer falls short.

Although the film attempts to track Janae’s public outing through to the surgical efforts of her transition, it aspires to cover so much ground that it never fully gets the opportunity to dig deep enough. At a brisk 78 minutes, the film simultaneously covers too much and too little, breezing through Janae’s forced coming-out without the care or indeed the emotional resonance such a pivotal moment deserves. Rather than emphasizing a specific element of Janae’s crisis, Transformer provides a kind of clip show that aspires to create a full portrait without all the colors necessary to bring it to life.

Still, even without the dimension (or the added screen time) that Janae’s story deserves, Transformer is a terrific primer for people who thus far have been unfamiliar with Janae until now. Del Monte’s film will no doubt go a long way toward sharing her story, hopefully impacting viewers to be accepting of others or perhaps themselves. And, in the end, that’s really the point of the film anyway. So, despite its narrative shortcomings, it’s difficult not to consider Transformer a rousing success.

RATING: 3.5/5

Transformer stars Janae Marie Kroczaleski and is directed by Michael Del Monte. The film is currently in limited theatrical release and is now available to rent or buy on multiple platforms. Visit www.transformerfilm.com for more information.