The Birdcage (1996)

The Birdcage

• This watch has been a long time coming, and especially since I watched ‘But I’m a Cheerleader’ last night, I wanted to watch something very gay to keep the momentum. So I settled on this, which I’ve only heard really good things about. Well, it lived up to all my expectations, and easily one of my favorite films in the “gay cinema” category. It’s kind of like an R-rated, gay version of ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’, though the plot is a bit different, obviously. The story is a very classic “couple who wants to get married and their parents are going to meet each other”, though it’s executed a lot better than a lot of other films. The dialogue and story progression is very natural and each act outweighs the previous one. It’s also fantastic because of the extremely comedic (though very vulnerable) duo of Robin Williams and Nathan Lane on one side, and then the late, great, Gene Hackman and Dianne Weist on the other. The chemistry between everyone is absolutely fantastic and completely sells the characters. Armand, Albert, and Agodor are some of the most likeable characters I’ve seen in a while, and the performances from Robin, Lane, and Hank Azaria are next level and all Oscar worthy. The fact that no one was nominated is CRIMINAL. They’re all so flamboyant and exaggerated, yet still wildly realistic. Give them retroactive Oscars, now. The production design is incredible too, capturing the Florida scene wonderfully, with eye popping colors and sets that remind me of ‘Barbie’ and ‘Querelle’. The score is great, the soundtrack is great, the makeup and hairstyling is GREAT, and everything is just so beautifully gay and I love it. I would absolutely recommend it to all romance/comedy fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!