The otherwise conventional Orlando has left his wife and kids for Marina (Daniela Vega), a passionate transgender person and much younger waitress-singer. After his sudden, unexpected death, Marina faces the suspicions of the police, the angry incomprehension of Orlando’s family and the discovery she’ll be denied the usual privileges of a grieving loved-one and life partner. On one level, writer-director Sebastián Lelio (Gloria) creates a vivid depiction of the petty injustices and prejudices that outsiders face in any society. But Lelio’s masterful tonal control and the intensity of Vega’s presence create something more universal: a lyrical melodrama about coping with the loss of love. A Fantastic Woman is Chile’s nominee at the Academy Awards.