?KD a year in which really good female roles were scarce. Nicole Kidman gave a scorching performance in Eyes Wide Shut but it's Hilary Swank who gives the most memorable and heartfelt performance of the year.

Swank is completely compelling as Teena Brandon, a young woman who passes herself off as a man, and finds love in the form of the terrific Chloe Sevigny (Kids, Last Days of Disco.)

As directed by Kimberly Peirce, Boys Don't Cry is an intriguing, sometimes painful take on the American dream. As the film progresses, it becomes a most unconventional love story, that could have come off as a really bad movie of the week. Fortunately, thanks to stellar acting and strong writing, it never sinks to those depths. Instead, it becomes an intensely honest, and moving love story that really works.

Swank is a revelation and watching her make a complete transformation, makes it hard to remember that she was also The Next Karate Kid.

Peirce takes her cue from actual events that occurred in a small town in Nebraska. She tackles tough subject matter and touchy situations with a lot of class. Although there are inconsistencies towards the film's end, there is no denying the power of Boys Don't Cry.

In the end, it is the endless energy and vulnerability of Swank that takes this film to another level. Her performance, by far, is the strongest work by a female this year.