Guillaume conforms to his mother’s unconscious desire for a daughter, which poses a few problems.

Picture gallery

Guillaume’s family is convinced he’s gay, because he’s different from the other boys. He admires his mother greatly (he does all he can to resemble her and imitates her to perfection) and all women in general. He does odd things (such as dress up like Empress Sissi), hates sports and is afraid or horses. After a failed attempt at language school in Spain, his mother sends him to boarding school. As he tells his mother about his romantic setbacks with a boy, Guillaume suddenly realizes he’s not a girl. Managing to avoid an abusive stint in the military, he goes in search of his sexual identity. He finds freedom by taking on his greatest fear and finally falling in love.

Actor, director and screenwriter Guillaume Gallienne has adapted his one-man show into a debut feature. The theater offered more distance from which to deal with and reflect on his relationship with his mother than would a simple biography, even as it underlined her unbearable theatricality (although he never reproached her for anything). His performance as both Guillaume and his mother is uncanny. The film is both exceptionally funny and extremely moving.