'To call Felicity Huffman's performance in Transamerica persuasive would be an understatement, as well as somewhat misleading...

The challenge Ms. Huffman faces here is more complicated: she must convey the layers of Bree's identity and the spaces between those layers. It is not just that the actress must play a man who is playing a woman -- that much is a matter of technique (with some prosthetic assistance, to be sure) -- but also that she must impersonate a performer in the midst of learning a complicated role.

Her performance is a complex metamorphosis, and it is thrilling to watch.'

A O Scott, The New York Times.