The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert

Tick (Hugo Weaving) is a Sydney drag queen with a secret: not only was he married but he’s got a son. When his ex-wife offers him a run performing at a hotel in Alice Springs (in the centre of Australia), he gets to work building a drag troop. After approaching the freshly widowed Bernadette (Terrance Stamp), an aging, jaded transsexual, he invites the obnoxiously flamboyant, off-switch-free Felicia (Guy Pearce) to complete the trio. Together, the three of them (and their Oscar-winning wardrobes) hop on Priscilla, an aging bus, for a long, surreal drive through the Australian Outback. Less outrageous than heart-warming, Priscilla is a cute film with an uplifting message. And it holds up pretty well, considering it first caused a fuss at Cannes well over a decade ago. For those introduced to Hugo Weaving by The Lord of the Rings or The Matrix trilogies it can be pretty bizarre seeing Elrond/Agent Smith mince around in more pink feathers than a flock of flamingos. But that just adds to the already fun and absurd quasi-plot. While you may share the opinion that most drag shows are slightly bawdier versions of high school lip-syncing contests and that the people most entertained by them are the performers themselves, Priscilla has earned its reputation. It’s not a "gay” film; it’s a light, exuberant, good-natured romp.