When you liken something to a Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant screwball comedy but for the queers, I am in. I mean, come on, one of my cats is named after Cary Grant. I told Mr. McCann that I would not be held to only review lesbian or serious movies, I needed some light and lively, since I knew I would be seeing a subtitled film later.
I was hopeful when the movie began and had the look of an “Absolutely Fabulous” episode with main character, Eddy Malone (Rebekah Kochan) in the role of Patsy, looking a hot mess smoking away while her fit manager, Clark Townsend (Matthew Montgomery) jogs up to her. The dynamic is set from the beginning between the two of them with responsible, uptight Clark trying to keep boozing, smoking, mess Eddy in check and out of the headlines.
The first thing that caught my attention, in a way that it hadn’t throughout the festival, was the way the film was shot. It had that homemade porn (without the sex) look to it and not in a good way. The quality seemed a little poor and, at times, it was hard to hear the dialogue. To be honest, it didn’t take that long before some people were actually leaving the theater. I stayed because I was hoping it would get better.
The film tried to be a slapstick comedy but it just wasn’t funny. The story starts with Eddy getting herself into another public situation that her best friend and manager, Clark, along with her public relations person, T.J., try to get her out of. Eddy will not be tamed and the plan is to bring in a life coach friend of T.J.’s, Pearce, into the mix to help clean her up. Pearce specializes in wilderness therapy and the hilarity is supposed to ensue when Clark, Eddy, T.J., Goldie (Clark’s cross dressing assistant), Pearce, Cooper (Clark’s ex boyfriend) and Gage (Cooper’s trainer and amateur porn star) go to the cabin in the woods for the “cleansing”.
My favorite parts of the movie involved T.J., who is a straight talking lesbian with some of the best lines of the movie. Also, Pearce’s dog, Mya, stole the show and was one of the best actors in the film. To be fair, there were funny scenes here and there and Rebekah Kochan’s Eddy was a dead on impression of Ke$sha. The outfits alone are not to be missed.
The idea is that Clark is burned out and not open to love because he is devoting his life to the management of Eddy’s career. Pearce is supposed to be a sexy, sensitive single that everyone wants Clark to be with, but, he, at first, doesn’t notice him, and then won’t get with him because he just doesn’t have time. While the movie tried to be funny, it took an abrupt 180 and became serious. This was blatant by the change in the soundtrack to very “deep” piano music and serious dialogue between the characters. I was confused. In the end, Clark and Pearce, who had never even hooked up, declared, after their first kiss, that there would be “no more empty beds” for them. In one fell swoop, without even going on a date, they had moved the lesbian process of at least going on two dates before there is a scheduling of a U-Haul along in a way that was wow.
I wish that I did get my Hepburn and Grant but this just wasn’t it. I hate that I couldn’t say better things but this is only one girl’s opinion, oh, and at least two other guys who have been a couple for 32 years that were at the theater with me. It is playing again on Friday, July 15th at 7:15pm at Ritz at the Bourse.
Rising Above Adversity: The LGBTQ+ Community Stands Strong Amidst Trump’s Return
As Trump’s re-election brings uncertainty for LGBTQ+ rights, the community stands strong, celebrating historic wins and pushing forward with resilience. Discover how our voices remain powerful.