Priscilla, a Rainha do Deserto

...and I don't say "great" lightly. This isn't merely some tired road comedy in drag, it's a fun, at times surprisingly moving story.

Part of my immense surprise comes because I'd never really understood the appeal of drag shows. While I'm not sure I'm any bigger a fan, I definitely found myself drawn into the little universe created here.

The central characters are real people who manage to play to stereotypes without succumbing to them. I was frankly amazed by Terence Stamp, an actor who has made a career playing dangerous, macho types, and made a surprisingly compelling and believable ageing transsexual. The novelty quickly wore off; it was one of those rare performances that was just totally without affect. Honestly, one of the best performances I've ever seen.

Fun, as I expected, but there's a genuine affection and depth here. A very pleasant surprise.

Two drag queens (Guy Pearce as bitchy Felicia, and Hugo Weaving as Mitzi) and a transsexual (Terence Stamp, marvellous as the widowed Bernadette) make a trip to Alice Springs in a pink bus called Priscilla.

Cue a soundtrack of mostly Abba songs (plus an off-the-cuff 'I Will Survive', and C E Peniston's 'Finally' - a great set-piece) and three towering performances. From the initial hilarious premise we follow the trio through the Australian desert and meet the various inhabitants of places they pass through. It remains fast-paced and touching within the comedy. Wonderful.

When few countries were pushing the boundaries of the LGBTIQ community this beautiful movie tested the waters. It made Australia grow up in an era when economically everyone wanted to go back to a more comfortable time. It came out around the same time as Muriel's Wedding which is equally about a run down family of characters who are better when they come together. This movie is a prime example of Australian cinema.

All three leading ladies and their performances are outstanding. The story is very amusing, quite often hilarious but also grounded with the prejudices they encounter on their journey. If you need something to put a smile on your face, to put in perspective your own dilemmas, to distract you from the humdrum of daily life, then jump on Priscilla and let the girls keep you thoroughly entertained.

When I first saw this film in my adolescence I have to admit I wasn't a very big fan. I found it to be depressing and a bit droll. After revisiting it so many years later I have a slightly better opinion of it. Looking at it with different eyes I appreciate aspects of it that I didn't before. If you haven't seen this queer classic it tells the story of a single gay dad who hasn't seen his son in ages and gets contracted by his former wife to do a drag show at a resort in the middle of the desert. The man is surprisingly Hugo Weaving of the Matrix films and he brings along his two friends. An aging transvestite whose just lost her lover played by a solid Terence Stamp and a flirty, young, charasmatic drag queen played by a surprisingly engaging and sexy Guy Pearce of Memento. The film tracks their journey across the desert and all the mishaps that go along with it. In the end I definitely enjoyed it more but it left me wanting a bit more character and story development. That being said it's still a wild, fun stylish ride with a great soundtrack.

Budget: $2M Box Office: $29.7M

7/10