Francine Fishpaw eat your heart out!

Rating: 9/10 (25 June 2003)

John Cameron Mitchell as Hedwig/Hansel is as tragic a figure as they come. But what a beautiful figure. Though Moulin Rouge will no doubt have stolen the thunder for best musical, Hedwig is where the heart of the musical is at. The songs do more than accompany the story - they propel the action. Story and song are so intertwined that one could not conceivably do without the other. It is a seemless magical blend that defies convention. This is one of top ten films that I have seen in the last 5 years in terms of originality, intelligence and having a heartbeat. The characters are fully formed and bursting with life. (Lowpoints in taking a big comic star like Andrea Martin and puting her in the non existant role of manager for the sake of "star power" - she was wasted in My Big Fat Greek Wedding the same way as well. It is confusing for the audience when these characters do not pan out into something more fully formed.)How much prettier can a boy get than Michael Pitt?
The songs and performance numbers are what really take this film to another level. It works on screen because it worked on stage. You can see the hours of blood, sweat and tears that were put into this film - it all shows up on the screen. The Cinematography is gorgeous - just the right balance between dramatic and reality - never going over the top. The costumes, hair and make up and production design are second to none and where done on what I imagine to be a shoe string budget. "Truly the best I've ever seen", to paraphrase the film. The heads of these departments all deserve huge kudos. The animated segments have a naivete that belies their crudeness. This is a window to Hansel's heart.This movie is fresh from start to finish. The viewer is taken on a journey that is only enriched with repeated viewings.
John Cameron Mitchell is a star to be watched. Hopefully he did not blow his load with Hedwig and we will see more films and plays that are as fearless and original as Hedwig and the Angry Inch.