Look for the handsome extra at the 46-minute mark when they are in Hong Kong, and at the hour and 21 minute where we're at Twin Towns Casino, Tweed Heads, New South Wales, Australia.
Seriously, it is a story about a loose canon becoming an independent woman when her strained mother-daughter relationship is further wedged when lies, costumes, and make-believe coalesce. Her journey is littered in let downs and undervalued courage. She meets pretenders who know who they are as she pretends to know who she wants to be dressed as her moral guide and idol, Dolly Parton.
When Red, the clumsy Real Estate Agent, burns bridges at a work party and becomes the woman she admires, to standing ovation, an impersonators' manager offers her a path out of her predicament. Out of the pot and into a saucepan as Red juggles her persona, wigs, and lacklustre breasts! Yes! Boob job to top off her transformation.
Knowing the actress also wrote this semiautobiographical comedy, and her bravura during the casino scenes at Tweed, elevates the film in my mind. Although there was a lot of film on the Cutting Room floor, as first hand witness to a bunch of takes that were unused, I can attest, the finished cut did the job in shorthand. It is a shame there is no bonus material to see what could have been.
Seeing her childhood best friend find happiness encourages Red to find hers, in the unlikeliest of places: a bar for trans impersonators! For those who do not understand metaphor, the shedding of her costume represents a new start. A new skin to take on the next project, whatever it may be.
Great performances by Daniel Webber: doing a spot-on Kenny Rogers; Celeste Barber: hilarious throughout, with an unfortunately cringe-worthy nickname, but her face in a Grease-like dream sequence takes the prize; and an Elvis impersonator that takes a few double takes to recognise, if you know the cast list! Even then, Elvis is a mystery in this film as in real life! Thomas Campbell unashamedly camp in his Bowie outfit, and a pleasure throughout. His voice is not heard, as Red drowns it out in her flamboyant fashion. And, finally, Bobby 'Antman's ex's new beau' Cannavale can also sing! His Lou Diamond impersonation deserves a whole outright movie with him headlining. It's that good! And on a personal note, Bobby: Sorry for not smiling and for looking like a dead mullet during your scene at the Hong Kong set. We'd been there since 4 a.m., and I was just sincerely in awe that you were in this small Aussie film being shot in my backyard...so to speak.
The scenes I'm referring occurred very late the night our nation closed its state borders due to the pandemic. I could have walked across the border to my home in Queensland, but I drove through the highway and got locked in as they were putting the barricades up. Took my a good long two hours to cross that invisible line! When I finally reached the officer that was getting a feel for the situation, he apologised that I had been waiting so long when they should have had two lanes, one to let QLD plates through, and the other to check the Blues' papers to cross over. He admitted to that, but it still took a long time to go home. This is why I think the filmmakers listed all of us extras in the credits! Thank you for that! Thank you, Krew, for sharing your story with the world! Well done!
