Must see how much you have been able forget the past

Trace Lysette provides a genuinely resonating performance through presented humane delicacy but let down by directional uncertainty as the utter patience turned unsatisfactory over uneventfully lacked confrontational stirs. (C+)

Good message and story, but the whole movie moved painfully slow. Fast forwarded through most of the first half because of how long it took for the dialogue to even begin. I understand it was supposed to be dramatic, but Monica comes off as a bit slow because of how long it takes for her to say anything.

This is only for folks who like to see others suffering. Watching this is a bit like masochism.

Monica is serious, beautiful and real!

One of the most poignant and enrapt performances of the lead and supporting actors. I've watched several times and recommend it enthusiastically.

Actress Trace Lysette gives a hunting, riveting & raw performance in Monica & Oscar worthy of the best actress Oscar for 2023. Monica deserves all of the award recognition for the upcoming awards season specially from lead actress Trace Lysette & for supporting Patricia Clarkson!!

Nice watching with friends

One type of person didn't like this movie: why tee trash. Sometimes, it's that simple. "dREADfuLLy sLOw!!!" None of these people can write a Rotten Tomatoes comment, but they definitely feel qualified to pretend they know how to write a script.

good and very nice movie

Always wanted to convey to the audience by being in his family environment. too quiet

Acceptance, reconciliation and forgiveness are arguably among the hardest feelings for many of us to deal with, but coming to terms with them is by no means impossible. When Monica (Trace Lysette), a transgender woman kicked out by her family as an adolescent, leaves her Midwestern home and heads to California to start a new life, she struggles to get by. And, after years of effort, she indeed manages to work it out for the most part. But, years later, when Monica's sister-in-law (Emily Browning) informs her that her long-estranged mother (Patricia Clarkson) is terminally ill, she's torn about what to do. Should she ignore the news or step up as a dutiful child? She reluctantly relents and heads back to Ohio to help care for the woman who threw her out of the house, a situation made more complex by the fact that her mother's malignant brain tumor has seriously affected her memory, leaving her unaware of the identity of the new caregiver who has suddenly appeared in her life. Writer-director Andrea Pallaoro's third feature outing presents a deftly nuanced, sensitively handled story of a family painfully torn apart trying to put itself back together again under trying circumstances and while there's still time. The pacing comes across as somewhat slow (undoubtedly by design), so those expecting material that moves along at a brisk, breezy clip may not find it to their liking, but, given the profound nature of the subject matter, it suits the narrative perfectly. There are admittedly a few plotline gaps here and there, but they're more than adequately compensated for by the film's superb ensemble cast, razor-sharp writing and gorgeous, atmospheric cinematography. "Monica" may not have received much fanfare upon its theatrical release earlier this year, but this fine streaming offering is well worth the time, providing viewers with a moving cinematic experience that many of us can probably relate to and whose wisdom should be thoughtfully considered should the need arise in one's life.

Difficult relationship between mother and daughter , good acting,

I found this to be a Beautiful and sad movie . I felt each scene had alot of emotional weight .

Absolutely fell in love with this movie. Trace, Patricia....... they were just (perfect (almost). Reminded me of when I had to care for my Dad before his passing. This is how and what a movie should be about.

Beautifully made and heartfelt drama. Authentic, touching, painful. Trace is a phenomenal presence. The subtleties in the story make for rewatching. The film shows the pain of people returning home to places where they were previously unwelcome and the lengths they go to quietly survive. Wonderful film exploring solitude, loneliness, gratitude and the impact one's life can have on others.

This movie felt like a squandered opportunity to tell a meaningful story. It was almost like the director wanted the accolades for an art film about a trans woman but didn't understand the material and didn't want to put in the work to learn it. There's a lot of long, drawn out empty space that doesn't really communicate much of anything. This feels like any other downbeat artsy film about family alienation. Given how exceptionally rare it is to feature trans women as main characters, the film was ripe to explore something unique or to offer something insightful to audiences. It didn't.

Good story but not a good movie. Incomplete

I am dumbfounded by how this movie is in the 80%s and 90%s with positive reviews and my only explanation is not enough people saw it to reflect the truth. The Emperor has no clothes, anyone who says otherwise has their head so far up their own ass. In short unwatchable. So boring and contrived you'll want to rip the skin off your face just try try and sit through it. It's dreadfully slow (not atmospheric) and repetitive. The actresses face had so much Botox and her dead pan voice combined with her face made her monotone and inexpressive. That is when you could see her… the lighting and camera angles were done in an attempt to be original or avant-garde but Kubrick you are not sir. You couldn't even make out anything on the screen 50% of the movie. And wow. Patricia Clarkson. One of my favorite actresses forcing herself through an embarrassingly poor script to the point it was actually kind of funny (i.e " I want my mommmmmmy! Where's my mommmmmy!" Skip if you have taste. Watch if you want to feel a part of a crowd that's trying to appear refined.

This movie captured caregiving in an estranged family with haunting accuracy. It was so poignant to me that I'm having a hard time putting my review into words. I feel like I can't possibly write my review well enough to give this movie the credit it deserves. Having been a family caregiver several times, I was amazed at the accuracy with which the caregiving experience was captured, especially in an estranged family. Trace Lysette played the role of Monica so well that I could feel the sadness, reluctance and discomfort of returning home to an ill mother in a family who hadn't been accepting of her. I've felt those feelings, so I was very aware of how well she was portraying them. I'm also familiar with the forgiveness she brought to the loving care of her mother and how she extended that to the rest of the family, especially with the obvious love she had for her nieces and nephews - familiar because of how well Trace played the role. I was also amazed by how well Patricia Clarkson played the role of Eugenia. There were several scenes that brought me to tears, because they were so familiar in my own caregiver experience. In addition to the excellent acting throughout the movie, I was really impressed with the work of the art department. The way the family home was presented was so reminiscent of an elderly family members home with so many memories displayed, reminisced about, and how the young children interacted in the home. One of the most powerful moments was when the abandoned swimming pool was shown and discussed. Caregivers always have more than they can handle and something/some things always end up getting neglected. That was portrayed so vividly and accurately that I found myself flashing back to encounters I had with neighbors and others who didn't understand that life and death issues were allowing that decay. It seemed obvious to me that Monica was estranged from her family, because her mother hadn't been able to accept that she was transgender. I may be wrong, but it seemed when Brody was play acting childbirth in a play session that maybe that was a sign he might also be transgender. Since Monica had seen that from the hallway, I felt maybe she came to a similar conclusion. I loved the way she came into the room in a playful way instead of the shame filled way too many transgender children experience. I was so touched by how after that Monica seemed to be trying to pave the way for him to have a more accepting experience than she had. When she gave him the music box and said it would keep him safe like it had always kept her safe, I was in tears. Then, when she told him how to take the stage in strength and confidence, I was falling in love with her character's great capacity for love and desire to make things better for the next generation. To me it symbolized giving Brody strength and ensuring that.just as the family had been healing while she was there, she would make sure that healing continued into the next generation so that Brody would never feel alone as she had felt alone. This is so feeble of an attempt to describe this very powerful and impactful movie, but I hope it is good enough.