STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
The enigmatic, flamboyant Jonny Woo invites us into the world of him and his contemporaries, in the wild and colourful world of Soho's drag quarter. While older hands, such as him and fellow cross dresser John Sizzle, ponder what to do as the years draw on and they fit the bill less, younger, up and coming sorts, such as Amber, have their own hurdles to overcome. The film follows each of these similar yet distinctly unique characters as they make their presence felt on the scene and fly in the face of those that oppose them.
The many outlets of media have certainly been used in recent times to promote equality and celebrate diversity, which only those with some kind of defect would complain about to any great extent. Colin Rothbart's film zooms in on the widely documented and exuberantly colourful world of the drag scene, bringing some of it's characters to life and giving you a feel of who they are and what they're about. While you'll drop your jaw at some of the outrageous antics and get some impression of an 'alternative lifestyle', the film lacks a certain sense of cohesion and fails to form a really effective narrative structure to piece it all together with.
It exists in a time of openness and transparency, and is a product of this environment. You will care about the characters very much and enjoy the lifestyle so much you'll want to celebrate it, it's just a shame it couldn't all get put together in a way that keeps your attention focused. ***