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Review: Funny Boy

Set in Sri Lanka in the 70s and 80s, Funny Boy begins as a gay coming-of-age drama, and it is that, but it’s also the story of the violent Sinhalese/Tamil ethnic tensions that came to boiling point during this period in a very bloody Civil War that lasted for decades. The central character Arjie (Arush Nand) is only 8 when the film starts, and he’s already pretty sure of his identity, though his family keeps trying to make him more “masculine.” But when his cool Aunt Radha comes home from Canada, ostensibly for an arranged marriage, she recognizes his spirit and encourages him to be himself. And frankly, he couldn’t be different if he tried.