Mirror, Mirror

"Limitation Of Life"

1996 1h 25m EN

😐

5.6

MID

★5.6TMDB · 6

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Portrait of the last year of the life of famous New York drag queen Consuela Cosmetic.

“Limitation Of Life”

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Cast

Consuela Cosmetic
Self
Hector Xtravaganza
Self
Gina Germaine
Self
Ms. Hawaiian Angie
Self
Bruce Benderson
Self
Amilia Black
Self
Karen Covergirl
Self
Freddie De Jesus
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Baillie Walsh
Writers: Baillie Walsh
Languages: English
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Murphy Birdsall shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Consuela Cosmetic and Hector Xtravaganza and Gina Germaine carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Limitation Of Life".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0117058 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Baillie Walsh directs. Murphy Birdsall cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
230 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Editor Murphy Birdsall shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Consuela Cosmetic and Hector Xtravaganza and Gina Germaine carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "Limitation Of Life".
6IMDB entry: tt0117058 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
8Classified under 14 themes, including "new york city", "aids", "drag queen", "interview".

The technical file

Editing: Murphy Birdsall
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Mirror, Mirror (1996)

Also by

Baillie Walsh

Community reviews

What people are saying

aknitter2016-02-04
★ 8.5/10
November 30, 1996 | 11:00PM PT Emanuel Levy Baillie Walsh’s “Mirror, Mirror” is a grimly disturbing documentary that probes the life of Consuela Cosmetic, a black transsexual who died of AIDS in March l996, during the film’s post-production. Offering an uncompromisingly candid look, docu demystifies such relevant issues as gender, sex and daily survival as they pertain to a “deviant” minority that’s often misunderstood and misrepresented in the media. Though laced with humor, overall downbeat tone, along with a gruesome onscreen operation of breast removal, might restrict theatrical potential, but docu should be shown in festivals and other venues open to challenging nonfiction fare. Born in l958, as Floyd William Bradford, Consuela Cosmetic was a fair-skinned black male who devoted virtually his entire lifetime to altering his physical appearance through female hormone therapy, silicone injection, plastic surgery — and whatever else it took to create the credible illusion of a female. But Consuela never took the crucial final step of gender-changing surgery; for most of his life, he functioned as a person with both breasts and penis. In fact, advertising his unique attributes, he managed to make a decent living as a nightclub performer and an aggressive hustler; many men were reportedly intrigued by his peculiar combination of biological traits. Among docu’s most harrowing sequences are Consuela’s comments on how AIDS has not only ravaged his peers, but also destroyed the notion of self-worth and other values associated with transsexualism. The central figure comes across as a sensitive and witty person whose chief concern was to live with dignity and at peace with himself. Helmer Walsh, who has directed some impressive musicvideos, keeps his subject on a tight rein, never letting him digress from his focused concern, even when the remarks are entertaining in their own right. Consuela’s contributions while at his best — and worst — add considerable energy and humor to the film’s intimate, often moving portrait. In large sections, Consuela, too weak to walk around, is seen lying in his bed. “Mirror, Mirror” doesn’t provide the light, entertaining look at drag queens and transsexuals that prevails in such movies as “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” and “To Wong Foo,” but it’s far more substantial, and often quite illuminating, in its observations about the day-to-day reality of a minority still misperceived by mainstream society.

Production companies