Magnífico

Writer and director Jamie Patterson is the co-founder of Jump Start Productions and has both written and directed many British films. He brings to life the world of drag queens in this sparkling film released in 2017 in the UK, winning awards in the 2018 Los Angeles Outfest Film Festival.

The film opens in a LGBTQ+ nightclub with elderly Jackie Collins (Derren Nesbitt) lip-syncing a song then delivering some of the funniest audience-focused jokes of any stand up comedienne. Jackie is not gay: he has always had an affinity for dressing in women's clothes, was married to a woman who died of cancer, and has a estranged daughter Lily (April Pearson) whom he has not seen in years. Jackie encounters a young drag queen Faith (Jordan Stephens), sees that Faith is sleeping in his car, and invites him home. The pair's discussions about their gender - Faith is a male who prefers to be seen as female but is tenuous as to gender declaration - provide a very fine exploration about gender assignment and choice. Their friendship grows in importance. Jackie has been informed that he has only six weeks to live (terminal carcinoma) and decides to continue his life as a performing drag queen to fill his time, and while Faith advises him to contact his daughter about his diagnosis, Jackie declines. April, whose wedding is approaching, appears at one of Jackie's shows and the result provides a touching conclusion.

Derren Nesbitt is superb in this tough role, allowing us to appreciate his character's conflicts while performing some of the most hilarious stage jokes on film! Jordan Stephens, an established recording artist, offers a strong portrait as Faith. The two actors employ Jamie Patterson's story to offer a fine overview of how to be themselves in a lifestyle few understand. The film is both an excellent LGBTQ+ story and an excellent, entertaining and touching experience.

Then the second half becomes a sentimental mess with Jackie finding a path back to his estranged daughter. This is where the story becomes predictable.

Otherwise the relationship between the characters 'Jackie' & 'Faith' keep the plot going at an entertaining pace. There are no 'heavy social issues' tossed upon you - the viewer.

It's just a story of an elderly man dealing with his career & health and its effect upon family and new found friend.

Someone else said this was a flawless feel good film. I'd not say that I'd say it was pretty melancholy and maudlin at times, however the story is real, and there is humour and sadness and joy and everything thrown in. The two main actors convinced me 100% that they are in fact cross dressers as they were so good at the role, but Derren Nesbitt who I haven't seen since the 60's, blew me away with one of the best performances I've seen this year. If he is not oscar nominated for Tucked then that is the final nail int he coffin for me that proves they are fixed. Amazing performances, amazing film.

I am so pleased I Googled Derren Nesbitt and discovered this smashing film. How well I remember him from the 60s onwards, with those piercing blue eyes and ability to chill the soul!

He is simply excellent in this film & makes a very touching partner to Jordan Stephens, who balances the act very well.

I wish it had received a wider release - it deserves to have done.

Tucked (2018) is an English movie written and directed by Jamie Patterson.

The film stars Derren Nesbitt as Jackie, a straight man who performs as a woman at a nightclub. He's not just Jackie, as he tells us. He's "The one and only Jackie."

Within the first few minutes of the movie, we learn that Jackie has a particularly aggressive form of cancer. His physician tells him to ease back a little, but naturally that's exactly what Jackie doesn't want to do.

Enter Jordan Stephens as Faith, a new performing artist at the club. We're never sure if Faith is straight or gay, and that's the way he wants it. He's very talented, and he certainly could be successful, especially after Jackie takes him under his wing.

There's a subplot about Jackie's estranged daughter, which is predictable, but works well enough. Actually, the entire film is fairly predictable. We know the beginning and we know the end.

What makes the film work is what happens along the way. It helps that the acting is truly outstanding. We learn to care about both Jackie and Faith and to care about exactly what will happen next.

We saw this movie at Rochester's great Little Theatre, as part of the outstanding Image Out, the Rochester LGBT Film Festival. It will work well on the small screen.

This movie has too few IMDb ratings to be meaningful, and I believe that I'm the first IMDb reviewer. So . . . you'll have to take my word for it that Tucked is worth seeing. Or, as Faith says, "Everyone needs a little faith."