Movie Review: Kinky Boots
If you were to ask me what my favourite movie is, I'd be stumped. But if you asked me what my favourite movie moment is, it's undoubtedly the catwalk scene in Kinky Boots. (It pre-empts the piano-playing-during-sea-storm from the Legend of 1900.) As per all reviewers, I don't want to build anything up so much that you're destined to be disappointed, but this scene is cinematic genius. Of course it needs the rest of the movie to get there, so let's get on with it.
Kinky Boots is about a shoe manufacturer in Britain that is on the verge of bankruptcy. They make men's high-quality, high-cost shoes which are an anachronism in their marketplace. Craftsmanship is evidently no longer a valued asset in shoes, and cheap shoes at a cheap price have devoured their market. However, one segment that has never been touched is apparel for cross-dressers. What happens when you put a line of bright-red, patent-leather, drag-queens' boots in a staid, traditional British factory? Predictably, shenanigans ensue!
But the comedy (and a killer soundtrack) is only part of the story. All the cliches fit: it's a heartwarming, feel-good, coming-of-age story (for thirtysomethings). But somehow it transcends the cliches. It's inviting without being smarmy. It's catchy without being simplistic. And I came away with a real idea of how close to my home these people live. As the world changes in some pretty radical ways, we need films like this to help us make sense of it all.
Kinky Boots is about a shoe manufacturer in Britain that is on the verge of bankruptcy. They make men's high-quality, high-cost shoes which are an anachronism in their marketplace. Craftsmanship is evidently no longer a valued asset in shoes, and cheap shoes at a cheap price have devoured their market. However, one segment that has never been touched is apparel for cross-dressers. What happens when you put a line of bright-red, patent-leather, drag-queens' boots in a staid, traditional British factory? Predictably, shenanigans ensue!
But the comedy (and a killer soundtrack) is only part of the story. All the cliches fit: it's a heartwarming, feel-good, coming-of-age story (for thirtysomethings). But somehow it transcends the cliches. It's inviting without being smarmy. It's catchy without being simplistic. And I came away with a real idea of how close to my home these people live. As the world changes in some pretty radical ways, we need films like this to help us make sense of it all.
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