Billy Porter’s classy, heartfelt directorial debut “Anything’s Possible,” premiering on Prime Video Friday, doesn’t work miracles. But it does work, and in ways more interesting than the average streaming teen rom-com with one eye on heart, the other on life lessons for the young and the smitten.
For one thing, the heart stuff — the budding romance between its main characters — beats in refreshingly human rhythm here. Trans high school senior Kelsa (Eva Reign) has been cautious about dating while in her transitioning phase. One of the seniors in her art class, Khal (Abubakr Ali), is sweet on her, and knows her story; on YouTube Kelsa has shared her experiences and insights while maintaining a more cautious brand of socializing in their Pittsburgh high school hallways.
In art class, kaboom: Sweet, charismatically awkward Khal paints an impressive portrait of Kelsa, while she paints him. Thus begins a genuine connection. Smartly, screenwriter Ximena García Lecuona takes the casual, straightforward approach to Kelsa’s transition. The interplay between the characters, and between the actors, feels authentic and winning. When the couple goes public, “Anything’s Possible” maintains its charm, although a lot of the obstacles and narrative crises in the second half — dominated by how the relationship is handled by their respective best friends, i.e. badly — veer toward predictability.
