Outstanding, moving portrait of an outsider
Beautifully done story about a gay male hairdresser who can no longer lay claim to his one-time title as "Mr. Pat", the Liberace of Sandusky, Ohio, played with gusto by the brilliant and shining Udo Kier. Udo practically owns the screen here, showing up in every scene and having the time of his life pulling out no stops to bring to life the very 'colorful' hairdresser Mr. Patrick, who spent 33 years taking care of the first lady of Sandusky (in a cameo by none other than the great Linda Evans).
To say that this performance is Oscar-worthy is to not do it justice. As the lead character, Udo projects such inner strength and commitment that encapsulates his many years of playing characters in secondary roles that were beneath his standing. He manages to pull our heartstrings in a dozen different directions while merely staring straight ahead puffing on a strange looking cigarette through most of the scenes.
Other wonderful moments are played by the supporting characters, and everyone performs their special role with grace and class, and transcends the illusion that a small town like Sandusky could ever really have a drag show that can compete with the likes of San Francisco for real talent.
A sweet moment happens when Udo as Patrick returns to the site of his former home, which is now a vacant lot, and talks with the young married couple who are now the owners of the lot, and he projects the loss of his former life with a depth and feeling that many of us can relate to. This is also prevalent in the scene of Mr. Pat honoring his partner who died of AIDS by kneeling before his tombstone.
Every moment in this is priceless, and is one of the best of the year, sadly unnoticed by the lack of open movie theaters, but luckily we are still able to find in the world of streaming. Bravo to the wonderful team that made this bittersweet tale of love and loss, and redemption.
To say that this performance is Oscar-worthy is to not do it justice. As the lead character, Udo projects such inner strength and commitment that encapsulates his many years of playing characters in secondary roles that were beneath his standing. He manages to pull our heartstrings in a dozen different directions while merely staring straight ahead puffing on a strange looking cigarette through most of the scenes.
Other wonderful moments are played by the supporting characters, and everyone performs their special role with grace and class, and transcends the illusion that a small town like Sandusky could ever really have a drag show that can compete with the likes of San Francisco for real talent.
A sweet moment happens when Udo as Patrick returns to the site of his former home, which is now a vacant lot, and talks with the young married couple who are now the owners of the lot, and he projects the loss of his former life with a depth and feeling that many of us can relate to. This is also prevalent in the scene of Mr. Pat honoring his partner who died of AIDS by kneeling before his tombstone.
Every moment in this is priceless, and is one of the best of the year, sadly unnoticed by the lack of open movie theaters, but luckily we are still able to find in the world of streaming. Bravo to the wonderful team that made this bittersweet tale of love and loss, and redemption.
- nick94965
- Jan 2, 2022