I sat back at 4am on a Thursday night to watch this film, not expecting much because, while many of the actors are Rupaul's Drag Race Alumni, I had never heard of the Director before. I was curious about what he did with these incredibly smart and undeniably funny drag queens.
He definitely took advantage of the strengths each performer brought to the table, and that was a brilliant move. He let them showcase some really strong acting chops- In particular, Bob The Drag Queen (Here, as Caldwell Tidicu) Allusia Alusia and the spectacular Tempest DuJour who gave a performance so incredibly hilarious and high caliber that she deserve a standing ovation. She definitely stole the entire film, saving it from some pretty bland, unremarkable writing.
The writer and director owe these drag queens a huge debt of gratitude. They carried Cherry Pop with true commitment and fantastic performances. They took their character and made them memorable. There are some uncomfortable moments with the film, unintentionally, but in the current climate it certainly made me cringe watching a straight character walk into a gay bar and physically (Not comedically) attack a gay drag queen character. It demonstrated a tremendous amount of ignorance and insensitivity, specifically because the audience is supposed to love the character doing the attacking.
The main character stays detached throughout the film. He is visibly uncomfortable in the environment- a gay bar. He has no real drive that we understand except to do something that is completely other than drag. It a big "Whaaaa?" moment that left me confused. He also narrates the entire film, which is the first indication of a problematic storyline. The first thing you learn in any film class is that if you have to tell your story through narration, you're not making a film, you should be writing a book. Narration is lazy and does the work on behalf of the writer. True to form, it is often unnecessary throughout the film and proves nothing more than a distraction.
All that aside, while the story itself is problematic, both in terms of execution and cultural sensitivity, the drag queens make it worth watching. You don't have to be a Rupaul's Drag Race fan to enjoy the wit, the banter and the hilarious performances they've turned out. I recommend it, if simply to watch these Drag Queens turn a sour story into a fun, frivolous campy feature.
He definitely took advantage of the strengths each performer brought to the table, and that was a brilliant move. He let them showcase some really strong acting chops- In particular, Bob The Drag Queen (Here, as Caldwell Tidicu) Allusia Alusia and the spectacular Tempest DuJour who gave a performance so incredibly hilarious and high caliber that she deserve a standing ovation. She definitely stole the entire film, saving it from some pretty bland, unremarkable writing.
The writer and director owe these drag queens a huge debt of gratitude. They carried Cherry Pop with true commitment and fantastic performances. They took their character and made them memorable. There are some uncomfortable moments with the film, unintentionally, but in the current climate it certainly made me cringe watching a straight character walk into a gay bar and physically (Not comedically) attack a gay drag queen character. It demonstrated a tremendous amount of ignorance and insensitivity, specifically because the audience is supposed to love the character doing the attacking.
The main character stays detached throughout the film. He is visibly uncomfortable in the environment- a gay bar. He has no real drive that we understand except to do something that is completely other than drag. It a big "Whaaaa?" moment that left me confused. He also narrates the entire film, which is the first indication of a problematic storyline. The first thing you learn in any film class is that if you have to tell your story through narration, you're not making a film, you should be writing a book. Narration is lazy and does the work on behalf of the writer. True to form, it is often unnecessary throughout the film and proves nothing more than a distraction.
All that aside, while the story itself is problematic, both in terms of execution and cultural sensitivity, the drag queens make it worth watching. You don't have to be a Rupaul's Drag Race fan to enjoy the wit, the banter and the hilarious performances they've turned out. I recommend it, if simply to watch these Drag Queens turn a sour story into a fun, frivolous campy feature.