JT LeRoy is a shocking literary hoax brought to life by two very talented actresses.
Director Justin Kelly (I Am Michael, King Cobra) brings us the true story of Laura Albert (played by Laura Dern), a Brooklyn-based writer who invented a literary persona named JT LeRoy to give the impression that she was a male writer conveying stories on poverty and sex work with first-hand knowledge.
Sick of a lack of public adoration, Laura convinces her sister-in-law Savannah Knoop (Kristen Stewart) to embrace her gender fluidity and portray the persona of JT LeRoy in public, while she herself plays the role of her friend and advisor Speedie at her side.
But how long can the pair keep up the big con?
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Firstly, JT LeRoy features two central performances by actresses at the top of their game.
Stewart brings her usual subtlety, vulnerability and effortless cool to her turn as the easily-led and experimental Savannah, who is really the protagonist of this story.
As LeRoy, Savannah makes what feels like a genuine connection with director-actress Eva (a radiant Diane Kruger), but can their relationship survive the deceit and scandal?
Stewart's great partner on-screen is the ever-versatile Dern who not only provides some terrific comedy as Albert adopts a cockney accent in her publicist role, but also carves out a troubled figure who is intent on recognition and the desire to be somewhere or someone else.
As Laura's husband and Savannah's brother Geoffrey, Jim Sturgess makes a convincing turn as an accomplice experiencing doubts, but is never awarded enough of a focus as the submissive spouse.
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Do look out for a memorable minor turn from Courtney Love as an adoring fan of LeRoy, however.
While Kelly makes the most of the farce of the hoax and the bizarre lengths Albert goes to keep the act up and Savannah on board, the most interesting aspect proves to be how Savannah uses the hoax to explore her own sense of identity, sexuality and authenticity.
Exploring the notion of a real-life avatar in the age where social media personas are rife and are the norm makes it an interesting snapshot of a time where such adoption of other identities was much less common place.
As the partners in crime fall further apart, the downfall of JT LeRoy is inevitable, but there is pleasure in seeing the lie be such a success until it does.
Overall, the film is not a condemnation of Albert or Knoop, but a portrait of how such expression can be powerfully alluring but also create enormous dysfunction as performance bleeds into reality.
Verdict
JT LeRoy is a fascinating exploration of a shocking true hoax that revels more in an exploration of identity than the scandal, with excellent lead turns from Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern.
JT LeRoy was shown as the closing film of BFI Flare Film Festival 2019 and will be released in UK cinemas later this year.
