A cock in a frock on a rock... (The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert (DVD))

Member Name: tairrie

Product:	The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert (DVD)
Date:	18/08/00 (47 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: one of my favourites, great soundtrack, great dialogues, funny, sentimental

Disadvantages: none that I know of

A remark in advance: English is not my mother tongue so please excuse any mistakes or odd expressions that might slip in! Thanks!

I love this film! It's one of the best I've ever seen. Without revealing too much of the content: the story is the following: two transvestites and one transsexual are on their way through the Australian continent to do a couple of shows (as "female impersonators") at a hotel in Alice Springs. Their mode of transport is a bus which - in the course of the action gets painted pink...and christened "Priscilla" (hence the title).
On their way they encounter all sorts of problems as - of course - the bus breaks down and they end up in the middle of nowhere. A story of three very different characters: Anthony aka Mitzi, Adam aka Felicia and Bernadette (formerly known as R...., she doesn't like that name!). The dialogues are just great, the costumes, the music...("No more f*** ABBA!!!").
Of course they also have to deal with prejudice and the rough manners in Australian small villages. The actors are all great, especially Hugo Weaving (some might know him from "Matrix") and Guy Pearce (known from Neighbours) is just gorgeous! :-)
The film is funny but not hilarious, its rather quiet, sometimes sarcastic humour never crossing the line and stooping to mere slapstick level, parts of the film are moving to tears, sentimental and also critical. I think the film very gently calls for tolerance by making the characters appear so sympathetic. There are quite some surprises on the way and some stereotypical ideas about homosexuals are confirmed, some done away with. Okay, the film certainly is not overly realistic but still credible. A definite must-see!!!! I've seen the film about a hundred times (even in the German dubbed version - a bizarre experience!) and it never seems to get boring.

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