Like a drag show, this film has an unnerving amount of confidence

Rating: 8/10 (16 June 2015)

Few films tackle the gay/lesbian genre with such flamboyant and outrageous tendencies, but The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert manages to be one of the genre's rarities. It's an uncommonly free-spirited film, bound by nothing and restrained by no one, with a writer/director who clearly understands and empathizes with the subculture and a cast committed to giving it the respect and the zany fun it deserves.
We focus on Anthony Belrose (Hugo Weaving), who uses the drag pseudonym "Mitzi Del Bra" and works in Sydney as a performer for Lasseter's Hotel Casino Resort in the remote town of Alice Springs. Anthony, despite success at Lasseter's, hungers for something more out of his life and his performances; he's sick of being belittled to "get naked" or show skin when he's pouring his heart out on stage before the microphone. As a result, he rounds up his colleagues Bernadette Bassinger (Terrence Stamp), a transsexual performer and Adam Whitely (Guy Pearce), a younger, more obnoxious soul who goes under the stage name "Felicia Jollygoodfellow" to embark on a four-week tour through the Australian Outback in their large RV named "Priscilla."
Classic road trip tropes ensue the second this eclectic trio embark on their journey. The three find a group of Aborigines, whom have never seen the art of drag performance, along with a group of rednecks that nearly have them lynched for intruding on their territory. Along the way, the gang gets equal parts feisty and sentimental with one another, getting on each others nerves at times and finding solace in one another for at least empathizing with their desire to be understood and respected for what they do.
The Adventures of Priscilla, in order to really succeed as a film, needed to occasionally capture human emotions through a tender, sentimental lens and Elliot perfectly delivers it without the violins and the overblown emotional manipulation. He gives us a lot of time to spend confined with this trio on Priscilla before the emotions take over. He starts off lighter, peppering the film with bouts of wittiness (when the three harmonize the drinks they want in tune of "Twelve Days of Christmas") and light-hearted fun.
The first leg of their trip about the goofy, somewhat hostile conversations they can have with one another. The second leg of the film is when most of the antics kick in and we see the trio's interactions with other minority subcultures, who choose to respond to the three in whatever way their own culture has perceived them (either openly or narrowly). Finally, the final leg of the film takes the aforementioned introspective look into these characters as human beings, with their own sense of idealism for themselves and the people around them. This is when The Adventures of Priscilla becomes a bit sadder, but never forgoes the element of good-natured, consistent fun.
Aside from the conversational banter being a real hoot, Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner's Oscar winning costume design is almost a character in itself. Chappel and Gardiner bathe the film in an exciting, eye-popping array of flamboyant color schemes and loud tones and hues that make for a visually delicious experience. Brian J. Breheny's cinematography also lends a hand to making the Australian Outback a lively character, accentuating every detail of the land in a way that makes the excursion that much more enjoyable. All the background devices in the film are precise, which makes The Adventures of Priscilla not only an interesting character study but a royal feast for the eyes.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert also features some of the most compelling and uproariously funny work from Pearce, Stamp, and Weaving, three veteran character actors who continue to expand their horizons with the variety of roles they take. With all of this, there is a general showstopping quality to the film that stems from all its aesthetic attributes and central performances. Like a drag show, the film steps out with a bold, unflinching amount of confidence and persists to exploit every ounce of entertainment and humane element that it can handle and, in turn, delivers terrific entertainment for most of its runtime.
Starring: Terrence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, and Bill Hunter. Directed by: Stephan Elliot.