Starring: Natey Jones, Alexandra Burke, Temilola Olatunbosun
Director: Dionne Edwards
Country: UK
UK Distributor: BFI
In this small independent British release, iconic X Factor-winner Alexandra Burke stars as Candice, a woman working in a supermarket but trying for the lead role in a Tina Turner musical. Her husband, Travis (Jones) has just been released from prison and is trying to find himself once again, now he’s back in the outside world. When Candice buys a beautiful, red, sequined dress for her audition, she is completely shocked to come home one day to find her husband wearing her gown. Insisting that it’s a one-off, he soon enlists the help of his lesbian teenage daughter (Olatunbosun) to help him cover up that he still wears it when he’s alone in the house.
Set in a deprived black community in London, this is an intriguing commentary on masculinity and gender. Travis is neither gay nor trans, but says that he wears the dress because sometimes he “just wants to feel pretty”. And actually, what he wants isn’t dissimilar to what Candice wants, donning the sparkle and glamour just to spice up the drudgery of everyday life.
There are times that this sidles into musical territory, with Burke giving it real gusto at her Tina audition, while sometimes the characters slip into fantasy musical sequences, which are a delightful tonic to the harsh realism outside. You can’t help but wish that director Edwards had embraced this strand further in the film, but as it is, it manages to faultlessly capture the appeal of cross-dressing, for someone who just wants to feel a little pizzazz.
Not only is this Edwards’ debut film, but it is also Burke’s first screen acting role, which she performs with the composure of an experienced actress. But, of course, she has been through the audition process for musicals many times herself, having been a West-End mainstay for the best part of a decade. But while she glistens in her role, so does Jones, who strikes an intricate balance between the rehabilitated ex-con and the drag queen in-waiting of this multi-faceted part.
A fun feel-good film that brings out the best in its director and stars, this is a well-crafted slice of succulent British cinema.
UK Release: Out now on VOD, released by BFI Distribution
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