A documentary on the Irish drag-queen Panti Bliss who became the forefront of movements for free speech and marriage equality, this is the classic example of a documentary that is more interesting for what it's about than how it's about it - this is pretty rudimentary documentary making. It's presented very much from Panti's perspective, and tells large chunks of the life story, from childhood in an Irish small village to early emergence in Japan, to the return to Ireland and involvement in the Dublin alternative club movements, to suddenly hitting the international stage after a speech on youtube got retweeted by celebrities from Madonna to Stephen Fry.
The problem is, much of this is not quite as fascinating as it should be. Everything feels very skimmed over, resulting in a rather shallow experience. Yes, there is a heroic ending, and yes, Panti can be amusing and witty, but without the detail and complexity, we end up with more of a puff piece than perhaps would be helpful. It's nice, well intentioned work, but it's not essential.
No comments:
Post a Comment