I wanted to make sure I saw this before it left Criterion Channel. This is such a progressive story for the time it came out, not only the book but also the film. Tilda Swinton is so good in this. I can tell how she got the career she has starting with this performance. I was confused at first why she was playing a man while Quentin Crisp was playing the king, but after the gender change, it all came together. The ending the present day was also a welcome surprise. Charlotte Valandrey as Princess Sasha really leaped off the screen for me (even though she is not in the film long). I wish I had seen more of her. The costumes are the real star of the film however. Sandy Powell deserves the Oscar nom she got.
