Kinky Boots (2005)

Kinky Boots

• Let me start off by saying this: if I had watched this at home in my room, would I have enjoyed it? Yes, I would have. However, if you want the ultimate experience, just do what I did……watch it in a renovated 1930’s theater with an audience full of queer/affirming people with a pre-show by drag queens and a Pride Month declaration by the mayor. Because of all that, I enjoyed this film so much more than I would have at home. It’s one of the best theater experiences I’ve had in my entire life. Now the film itself is definitely a bit cheesy and has that certain mid 2000’s vibe to it, but it’s surprisingly not as dated as I thought it’d be. It’s roughly based on true events, which I definitely want to read into to see how accurate this film is. Either way, it’s wildly entertaining and pretty deep. The comedy aspect is very on point, and it’s written very on-the-nose. It’s a little edgy and jokes about sensitive topics, but it does it in a tasteful way, while delivering a powerful message. The drama aspect is wonderful too, highlighting the queer experience while also dipping into the business world. Like I said, it’s very silly at times, but there were also moments where it was really pulling at my heartstrings. The cast was fairly solid for the most part, with exceptional performances from Joel Edgerton and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Joel is always great in anything, but let’s talk about Chiwetel. An absolutely generational performance that deserves every possible award. Lola is everything a cinematic drag queen should be, and she might be my favorite drag queen I’ve seen in any film, ever. Such a natural, easy going role, and you can’t help but fall in love with her. Give Chiwetel all the roses and all the awards. Lastly, the soundtrack was great, with some classic hits and great vocals from Chiwetel. I was tapping my foot and bobbing my head for nearly every song played. Overall, this is a delightful, hilarious film, and though it’s nothing amazing, I’m very glad that I’ve seen it, especially in the environment I saw it in. I would recommend it to all comedy/drama fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!