The Auteurs #66: John Cameron Mitchell

Among one of the current figures in American independent cinema who makes film that doesn’t play by the rules, John Cameron Mitchell is a figure in cinema and television who is interested in telling stories about those who struggle with being part of conventional society. Being openly gay, Mitchell started off as a voice for LGBT audiences only to broaden himself even more in making films and projects that also appeal to straight audiences but without giving in towards the conventional ideas of cinema. While he would also work as an actor in various projects to get funding for films that studios wouldn’t want to take on. His independent spirit has made him a vital voice for filmmakers who like to think outside the box.

Born on April 21, 1963 in El Paso, Texas, John Cameron Mitchell was the son of a U.S. Army general as he and his brother Colin along with their Scottish-born schoolteacher mother moved around the world as Mitchell and his brother Colin grew up on different army bases in West Germany, Scotland, and in various parts of the U.S. During that time when he was living Scotland, he attended the Benedictine boarding school where he discovered theatre as he would play the Virgin Mary for a Nativity musical at the age of 11. Through his love for acting and theatre, Mitchell would later attend Northwestern University in Illinois in 1981 where he attended the school for four years studying drama as he would also learn about film. On the year he graduated from Northwestern in 1985, he also came out of the closest to friends and family knowing that homosexuality was still considered taboo in America.

Living in Chicago following his college graduation, Mitchell got the role of Huckleberry Finn for a stage play in the city’s Goodman Theatre as it got the attention of theatre agents in New York City as he played Finn once again in a stage version of Big River. Mitchell would also get work in television, commercials, movies, and theatre for the course of more than a decade as he played different kind of roles. It was also around this time that he also learned the craft of directing theatre where he founded the Drama Department Theatre Company in the mid-1990s as he directed a version of Tennessee Williams’ Kingdom of Earth that would star Cynthia Nixon and Peter Sarsgaard. It was around this time that Mitchell met musician Stephen Trask through various punk rock clubs in New York City. The two shared an interest for music as they both loved David Bowie and 1970s glam rock as they decided to collaborate on a theatre project that would get the attention of the world of theatre.

Hedwig & the Angry Inch

In 1998, Mitchell and Trask staged their off-Broadway play about a German androgynous rock singer with a botched sex change operation who is touring with his band as they’re following a more popular singer that used to be the lover of the titular character. The character was partially inspired by Mitchell’s German babysitter when he was living in Junction City, Kansas as well as other luminaries in 70s glam rock like Bowie, Lou Reed, and Iggy Pop. The play would have a two-year run off-Broadway as it grew a lot of attention including the endorsement of David Bowie and talk show host Rosie O’Donnell who invited Mitchell and Trask to perform a song on her show. The success of the play would inspire Mitchell to do his own film version of the play as he would co-write, direct, and star in the film with Trask also co-starring and co-writing the film’s script.

With a budget of $6 million that was aided by famed independent film producer Christine Vachon who would produce the film, Mitchell would be given the chance to create his own film version of the story he created rather than have big Hollywood studios adapt it and make it more mainstream. With Mitchell playing the role of Hedwig as he did onstage and Trask as one of the band members, the film’s cast would include Miriam Shor who would reprise her role as Hedwig’s husband/back-up singer Yitzhak, Andrea Martin as Hedwig’s manager, and then-newcomer Michael Pitt as Hedwig’s former lover Tommy Gnosis who had become a popular singer that had taken the songs he and Hedwig had written. Mitchell would gain the support of cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco to shoot the film as he would be a recurring collaborator of Mitchell for much of his film as DeMarco would create visuals to play into Mitchell’s ambition.

Knowing that musicals often are made with large budgets that was one of the reasons the genre had phased out in the late 1960s and early 1970s as well as attempts to revive the genre in the coming decades haven’t been well-received. Mitchell knew that he didn’t want to fall into the traps of creating spectacles as he used the film’s $6 million budget to his advantage to create something that has elements of spectacles but not be afraid to play into its low budget aesthetics. At the same time, Mitchell wanted to create that air of excitement into the fact that his musical is largely based on rock n’ roll rather than the typical idea of show-tunes as the songs he and Trask created definitely had an edge as it play into Hedwig’s own faults and anger towards his protégé whom he felt had used him for his own success.

The film made its premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival in January of that year as it won the festival’s Audience prize as well as a directing prize for Mitchell. The film would also make its European premiere a month later at the Berlin Film Festival where it won the festival’s Teddy Award as it appealed to the LGBT audience. The film’s success through film festivals lead to a limited theatrical release in the U.S. later that summer. Despite its immense critical success, the film only made $3.6 million which wasn’t enough to cover its $6 million budget though the film would eventually become a cult film since its release. Mitchell would also garner a large amount of critical support as he would win the L.A. Film Critics Association New Generation prize as well as Best Debut Director from the National Board of Review in the U.S. and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a comedy/musical.

Bright Eyes-First Day of My Life (music video)/Scissor Sisters-Filthy/Gorgeous (music video)




The critical and cult success of Hedwig & the Angry Inch would give Mitchell the chance to do other work as well as be a host for the Independent Film Channel’s Escape from Hollywood film series in showcasing revered independent films to a wide audience for two years. While trying to get money in developing a new film project, Mitchell would also take the time to direct a couple of music videos during this break between film projects. The first of which is a video for the indie folk group Bright Eyes as it was a simple video of various people on a couch as they listen to the song on headphones as it play into the idea of love. The video would help Bright Eyes become a viable act in the indie scene as Mitchell would make another video for the American dance band Scissor Sisters that would be extremely controversial as it is set at a sex club though Mitchell didn’t want to make it totally explicit. Still, the video in an edited version and its uncensored version was considered too controversial to be aired on MTV or any mainstream music outlet.




Shortbus

Wanting to make his next feature film something completely different and use non-professional actors, unknowns, and some obscure actors, Mitchell and producer Howard Gertler decided to get people to answer a casting call on participating in a film project about sex. The film would revolve around a group of people in New York City coping with their sexuality and what it would mean to them as it include a subplot in which a sex therapist deals with her lack of orgasm in her sexual life. Many people would send thousands of confessional tapes and such for Mitchell and Gertler to watch as one of the tapes came from Jonathan Caouette whose confession lead to Mitchell finding him and eventually fund Caouette’s own documentary Tarnation that was released through film festivals in 2004 to rave reviews. Nine people were eventually chosen including Canadian radio personality Sook-Yin Lee who had appeared in a small role in Hedwig & the Angry Inch as they would all take part in a workshop to develop ideas for the film and its characters.

Three people would leave the workshop while Lee’s involvement in the film would nearly have her fired by her bosses until several people such as filmmakers Francis Ford Coppola, Gus Van Sant, David Cronenberg, Atom Egoyan and Bart Freundlich along with actress Julianne Moore and musician Moby stepped in to save Lee’s job. Mitchell would take the workshop to Los Angeles to find more actors as he would succeed as well as get the $2 million he needed for the film along with distribution in THINKfilm. The film was finally shot in the summer of 2005 as Mitchell brought along his collaborators that include sound designer Benjamin Cheah, animator John Bair for some visual effects, production designer Judy Asnes, and costume designers Bart Mueller and Kurt Swanson for the production. Much of the cast of non-professional actors and amateurs would take part in sexually explicit acts but Mitchell knew he didn’t want to make a film that many thought would be pornography.

For an orgy scene, Mitchell decided to take part in the scene as an act of solidarity with the other actors taking part in the orgy as he and a cameraman were both naked for the scene. Even as there’s moments in the film where real orgasm and real sex occurred where during a shoot where Mitchell and his crew were finishing up the shoot that night. Actors involved in an orgy were still having sex that made Mitchell and crew members restless into having the people finish things up as Mitchell would also have another crew film the making of the orgy scene. Actors would get tested for STDs in case something goes wrong though fortunately no one had any STDs as Mitchell was able to get what he wanted.

The film made its premiere in May of 2006 at the Cannes Film Festival in France where it received a rousing reception in its screening as it was released a few months later by THINKfilm in the U.S. in a limited release due to its sexually explicit content as Mitchell refused to do further cuts by the MPAA and chose to release the film unrated. Despite its lack of commercial appeal and receiving mixed reviews from critics, the film did manage to make more than $5.4 million in its limited theatrical release against its $2 million budget. The film would also play in film festivals around the world where it received some accolades giving Mitchell some clout in the industry. A year after its release, the film was banned from South Korea for its release though it would still play in film festivals in the country that did help the ban get lifted for the film two years to be seen publicly in its unrated presentation.

Rabbit Hole

Following a break between films in which Mitchell was trying to develop other projects, he went to see David Lindsay-Abaire’s play about a couple dealing with the loss of their child as it would play into their disintegrating marriage where they each go into separate paths to cope with their grief. The play’s 2006 premiere on Broadway that featured Cynthia Nixon and John Slattery in the lead roles was a major hit as Mitchell met Lindsay-Abaire about the play as the two decided collaborated on turning the play into a feature film project. With Lindsay-Abaire winning the Pulitizer Prize for its play, he agreed to work with Mitchell due to their experiences in theater as they also wanted to stray from the conventional ideas of Hollywood as it relate to hit plays becoming mainstream films that often don’t deliver.

Knowing that the film would mark a major departure for Mitchell from his more raucous stories of sexuality, the film would have Mitchell play it straight but also go further into the way a couple deals with grief. With the exception of longtime cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco and sound designer Benjamin Cheah, Mitchell took on an entire new crew for the production during its development as he and Lindsay-Abaire got the attention of Nicole Kidman who is interested in doing the film. Kidman who dropped out of a film project for Woody Allen agreed to do the film in the role of Becca as she would also serve as one of its producers to keep the film’s budget low. For the role of Becca’s husband Howie, Aaron Eckhart accepted the role as he would go into his own research into the idea of grief by attending meetings for parents who had lost their children.

The ensemble would include Tammy Blanchard, Sandra Oh, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Tenney, then-newcomer Miles Teller, and Dianne Wiest as Becca’s mother as the shooting began in late 2009/early 2010 for a 28-day shoot in the boroughs of Queens in New York City with the small budget of $3.2 million. Mitchell wanted to maintain the same kind of intimacy that the play had while shooting the film on various locations in Queens such as an arcade where Howie and Sandra Oh’s character Gabby decide to skip a grief counseling meeting to just hang out and have fun. It would play into Becca and Howie’s disintegrating marriage as Becca would find herself spending time with the character of Jason, played by Miles Teller, who accidentally killed their son as he feels guilty over what he did giving Becca a chance to cope with her own loss as well as learning her sister is pregnant. Mitchell chooses not to over-embellish nor underplay the drama in order to play with these ideas of grief giving the actors a chance to take the characters into places that most films wouldn’t go into.

The film made its premiere in September 2010 at the Toronto Film Festival where it was well-received as it was later distributed by Lions Gate which gave the film a limited release later in December for its Oscar consideration. The film received rave reviews from critics while managing to do well in its box office making more than $5 million against its $3.2 million budget while it would give Kidman an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Though there were some who were critical of the changes Mitchell and Lindsay-Abaire made from the play into the film. Mitchell and Lindsay-Abaire were still proud of what they did as it would help the former become more visible in Hollywood despite his reluctance to play into their world preferring to remain independent.

Dior: L.A.dy Dior/Dior: Lady Grey London/Dior: Dior Homme Sport




After the release of Rabbit Hole, Mitchell chose to take on a few small projects as he was asked by Dior to direct a few ads for the fashion company. A couple of these ads/shorts would star French actress Marion Cotillard as the first short involved her as a movie star in Los Angeles that is tired of the photoshoots and such as the overwhelming pressure in being a star finally gets to her as she acts out. The second short set in London which also starred Ian McKellan and Russell Tovey in which Cotillard played a mysterious stage performer who entrances both a crippled McKellan and Tovey as an artist as it is a mixture of cabaret and melodrama. A third short film Mitchell did for Dior would star Jude Law as a man driving to Paris to the South of France to meet a woman as it is told through the Rolling Stones’ song Paint It Black where Mitchell infuses it with a sense of style and Law’s sense of cool.







How to Talk to Girls at Parties

During a long break between films in which Mitchell directed an episode of Showtime’s medical comedy-drama Nurse Jackie in 2013 as well as appearing in a recurring role for the HBO comedy series Girls from 2013 to 2014 and later appearing as Andy Warhol two years later in another HBO series in Vinyl. Mitchell’s foray into television was brief as he shot an unaired pilot of another Showtime comedy series in Happyish that never got off the ground since the pilot featured one of the final acting performances of Philip Seymour Hoffman who died in early 2014. It was around in 2015 when Mitchell was approached in helming a film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s short story about a young punk rocker who meets and falls in love with a young woman who is believed to be an alien as it’s set during the late 70s punk movement in Britain.

Mitchell collaborated with Philippa Goslett in adapting the script as they were able to get the film shot in Sheffield instead of London due to the fact that certain locations in London didn’t look like what they did back in 1977. Along with longtime collaborators in Frank G. DeMarco and Benjamin Cheah, Mitchell would get the services of famed costume designer Sandy Powell in creating costumes just as Mitchell also got Nicole Kidman on board to play the role of punk rock leader Queen Boadicea. Mitchell wanted Marion Cotillard to do a cameo appearance in the film but Cotillard was unable to take part due to scheduling conflicts as the cameo was scrapped where Mitchell focused on getting the right actors for the lead roles. It was in British theater actor Alex Sharp who would get the role of Enn while American actress Elle Fanning played the role of the mysterious alien Zan.

The ensemble cast would include Matt Lucas and Ruth Wilson as colony leaders as shooting began in November 2015 on a $3.8 million budget for the film. Being familiar with the world of punk culture, Mitchell wanted to maintain that air of authenticity as well as writing original songs for the film that Zan and Enn would sing to play into their growing union. It added to this energy that Mitchell wanted while he wanted the scenes involving the aliens to be filled with some comical absurdity as idealists who have an agenda yet would be confronted by the punks who reveal the major flaws into their ideals. All of which would lead to Enn, who is an artist trying to find his own artistic voice, to write up his own experiences similar to what Gaiman had experienced in the time of punk rock.

The film made its premiere in May of 2017 at the Cannes Film Festival in France where it played out of competition where it got a mixed reception. The film was eventually released in theaters a year later in Britain and in the U.S. where some praised the film for its energy though some felt the blending of different genres hurt the film. The polarizing reaction did hamper the film’s limited release in the U.S. even though Mitchell remains confident over the film and his vision.

While he’s only made four feature films so far and doesn’t make films very often due to his reluctance to work with Hollywood. John Cameron Mitchell is still an important figure for American independent and LGBT cinema as he would be a champion for both movements as well as maintain that need to not be pigeonholed like other filmmakers known for doing certain types of films. It is why cinema should be grateful in having someone like John Cameron Mitchell to be the voice for stories that Hollywood wouldn’t dare touch.

© thevoid99 2018

How to Talk to Girls at Parties

Based on the short story by Neil Gaiman, How to Talk to Girls at Parties is the story of a teenage boy in the late 1970s who goes to party where he befriends a mysterious young woman who is revealed to be an alien. Directed by John Cameron Mitchell and screenplay by Mitchell and Philippa Goslett, the film is a genre-bending film that explores first love as well as identity during the age of punk in Great Britain. Starring Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp, Matt Lucas, Ruth Wilson, and Nicole Kidman as Queen Boadicea. How to Talk to Girls at Parties is an exhilarating and whimsical film from John Cameron Mitchell.

Set in 1977 Britain during the age of punk, the film revolves around a young man who goes to a party where he meets a young woman unaware that she might be an alien as he introduces her to the world of punk and love. It’s a film that takes a simple premise of first love and identity as it is told in a stylistic manner that is set during the summer of 1977 where the Queen Elizabeth II’s jubilee is happening as a young teen in Enn (Alex Sharp) is a young artist trying to contribute to the world of punk by creating a fanzine with a couple of his friends in Vic (Abraham Lewis) and John (Ethan Lawrence). The film’s screenplay by John Cameron Mitchell and Philippa Goslett does play into the tropes of the coming-of-age storyline as well as the ideas of first line but there’s also some odd sci-fi moments as it relates to the young woman Enn meets in Zan (Elle Fanning) who is part of a colony of strange people as she is frustrated with their ideals until she meets Enn and his friends at the party that her leaders are hosting.

Zan’s encounter with humanity such as meeting Enn’s mother (Joanna Scanlan), dancing to soul music, eating pancakes, and other things do have elements of humor and curiosity. Notably as Zan also finds herself talking to her master PT Waldo (Tom Brooke) who would inhabit the body of someone near her in warning her about what she’s embarking. Still, Zan wants to learn about so many things as she turns to the punk leader Queen Boadicea as she is kind of this wild maternal figure for all of the young punks where she would encourage Zan to express her own feelings with Enn’s help. This would eventually lead to a conflict with the group of people Zan was with as well as those she met including Enn whom she has fallen for. It would play into the idea of individuality and humanity with Zan in the middle of this conflict as there are those that want to maintain this idea of perfection and being with these ideals also carrying some flaws in the same way that Enn’s own ideals have their own flaws.

Mitchell’s direction is stylish in the way he portrays 1977 Great Britain as well as setting it in the suburbs rather than the cities as much of it is shot on various locations in England in towns like Sheffield and suburban areas in London. While Mitchell would include some wide shots of the locations as well as some moments inside the clubs and the house where Zan and the people she’s with early in the film live in. The film opens with these strange visuals of six symbols that would represent a different colony of these mysterious visitors as Zan is part of a colony whose color is yellow and it then cuts to Enn waking up. Much of Mitchell’s direction is straightforward in terms of compositions in the way he frames the actors in a close-up or in a medium shot while he would infuse stylistic slanted shots in some scenes as well as stylistic shots that play into the frenzy of the punk rock scene.

While the meshing of sci-fi ideas and this grounded sense of drama in the punk rock world isn’t totally successful in some parts of the film. Mitchell does play into these ideals and their flaws as it relates to the third act where the punks and the aliens collide in this approach to absurd humor. Even as it would include a key musical moment in the film where Zan and Enn would sing during the second act as it play into not just the former finding aspects of herself but also the both of them connecting in ways that is indescribable in a surreal sequence. It would lead to moments in the third act as it would play into Enn’s future and how his encounter with Zan and the world of aliens and punk rock would inspire him. Overall, Mitchell creates a wild yet endearing film about a young punk who falls for a mysterious young girl in 1977 Britain.

Cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of low-key and naturalistic colors for many of the daytime exteriors and interiors in the scenes at Enn’s home and in the many surroundings through a more stylish look in the lighting for the scenes in the punk club and at the home of the aliens. Editor Brian A. Kates does brilliant work with the usage of rhythmic cuts to play into the drama as well as some stylish slow-motion cuts for scenes to play into the sense of joy in some of the characters. Production designer Helen Scott, with set decorator Hannah Spice and art director Caroline Barclay, does fantastic work with the look of the punk club that Queen Boadicea lives and runs as well as the odd apartment and rooms where the aliens live at. Costume designer Sandy Powell does amazing work with the costumes from the clothes that the different aliens wear in their bright colors to the look of the punks to play into how outrageous both groups are.

Hair/makeup designer Sian Grigg does incredible work with the look of the aliens in their hairstyles and makeup as well as the look of Queen Boadicea and some of the punks as it’s a highlight of the film. Special effects supervisor Scott MacIntyre and visual effects supervisor John Bair do terrific work with the visual effects as it play into the film’s opening sequence as well as the musical performance that include this weird yet entrancing sequence that play into Enn and Zan’s love for each other. Sound editors Benjamin Cheah and Gregg Swiatlowski do superb work with the sound in the way music sounds live as well as the way objects sounds including some of the sparse moments in the film. The film’s music by Nico Muhly and Jamie Stewart is wonderful for its mixture of somber ambient music pieces along with low-key electric-folk music to play into some of the film’s dramatic moments while music supervisor Michael Hill provides a fun soundtrack of the music that was playing in the times from acts/artists such as the Damned, the Silvertones, Dub Specialist, the Dischords, A.C. Newman, the Velvet Underground, and Jamie Stewart as well as some original songs co-written by John Cameron Mitchell.

The casting by Douglas Aibel, Henry Russell Bergstein, Emily Jacobs, and Karen Lindsay-Stewart is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Lara Peake as a six-fingered young girl named Wainswain, Jed Shardlow as a PT Stella male, Nansi Nsue as a member of the same colony that Zan is in, Jumayn Hunter as a DJ who plays music at Queen Boadicea’s home, Joey Ansah as PT named Bob, Stephen Campbell Moore as a record executive at a show early in the film, Alice Sanders as a pink-haired punk girl named Spinning Alice, and Edward Petherbridge as the alien cult leader PT First as this cult leader who is eager for all of his followers and other leaders to follow everything he believes in.

Joanna Scanlan is terrific as Enn’s mother as a kind woman who helps Zan out with the ideas of womanhood while Tom Brooke is superb as Zan’s mentor PT Waldo as an alien who is concerned about Zan’s departure and her encounter with humanity. Abraham Lewis and Ethan Lawrence are fantastic in their respective roles as Vic and John as Enn’s friends who both have different encounter with the aliens as the former becomes sexually confused while the latter is in awe of the music he hears. Matt Lucas is excellent as PT Wain as a colony leader who wants Zan out of the group believing she is a threat to what she has known as he tries to stir up trouble. Ruth Wilson is brilliant as PT Stella as a colony leader that is known for sexual stimulation as she is a being that wants to seduce humans to great pleasure.

Nicole Kidman is great in her role as Queen Boadicea as a punk leader who is trying to run a club and seek out the next big thing where she isn’t fond of a lot of people but is fascinated by Zan who she sees as someone unique as it’s Kidman at her best. Alex Sharp is remarkable as Enn as a young punk who aspires to be an artist as he befriends Zan and introduce her to punk while dealing with his own issues relating to his father and his own self-being. Finally, there’s Elle Fanning in an incredible performance as Zan as a young woman who arrives on Earth as an American teenager who would discover the world of punk and the ideas of humanity as it’s a performance filled with a sense of energy, natural comic timing, and being fierce once she starts to sing like a punk as it’s one of Fanning’s finest performances.

How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a marvelous film from John Cameron Mitchell that feature top-notch performances from Elle Fanning, Alex Sharp, and Nicole Kidman. Along with its offbeat premise, killer music soundtrack, and dazzling visuals, it’s a film that doesn’t play by the rules despite a few bumps in trying to mesh different genres. In the end, How to Talk to Girls at Parties is a remarkable film from John Cameron Mitchell.

John Cameron Mitchell Films: Hedwig & the Angry Inch - Shortbus - Rabbit Hole - The Auteurs #66: John Cameron Mitchell

© thevoid99 2018

Rabbit Hole

Based on David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, Rabbit Hole tells the story of a married couple dealing with the loss of their son. During this horrific time, the couple each ventured into their own personal journeys with their marriage going into freefall. Directed by John Cameron Mitchell with the play’s creator writing the screenplay. The film explores grief and moving forward as it marks as a departure of sorts for the more radical and unconventional John Cameron Mitchell. Starring Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Tammy Blanchard, Miles Teller, Sandra Oh, Jon Tenney, Giancarlo Esposito, and Dianne Wiest. Rabbit Hole is a somber yet touching film from John Cameron Mitchell and company.

It’s another day for Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie Corbett (Aaron Eckhart) as they stay at home not wanting to go to any parties or social gatherings. Though Becca later gets a call from her trouble-making sister Izzy (Tammy Blanchard) who got arrested for assaulting a woman at a bar. The big news is that Izzy is pregnant with that woman’s ex-boyfriend named Auggie (Giancarlo Esposito). Still, it’s another thing Becca has to deal with as she and Howie are still dealing with the death of their 4-year old son Danny (Phoenix List). The grief has led to a lack of communication for the two as they try to deal with it through group meetings led by Kevin (Stephen Mailer) and Gabby (Sandra Oh).

Unfortunately, Becca chooses to leave following a couple’s discussion about their own way in dealing with grief as she is trying to move forward. Still, offering to give Danny’s clothes to Izzy and trying to get back to work as an executive hasn’t done anything. During Izzy’s birthday party that is attended by their mother Nat (Dianne Wiest) who wants to give Becca some advice. Becca isn’t interested as she and Howie are unable to really talk to each other as he goes to group and continue working. Instead, she follows a teenage boy named Jason (Miles Teller) which eventually led to the two finally talking about what happened.

Meanwhile, Howie begins to befriend Gabby during group meetings as a way to deal with his own grief after learning that Becca had deleted a video in his iPhone despite her claims it was an accident. Even as he learns why Kevin hasn’t been showing up in meetings. Following the decision to sell the house, Jason makes an unexpected appearance leading to more drama between Howie and Becca. Even as the two ponder what are they doing for themselves and what is next for them.

The film is essentially about a couple trying to deal with grief and how they react to the death of their 4-year old son through a car accident. Yet, the film’s writer and original playwright David Lindsay-Abaire is more concerned about the way this couple reacts not just to the things around them but how they’re dealing with the loss they’ve suffered. For Howie, it’s all about watching a video on his iPhone, trying to work, and go to group meetings to just try and move on. Becca however, has a much harder time as she seems cold, angry, and not wanting to move on as her attempts don’t work. Instead, she turns to a teenage boy with a strange fascination with science as he writes a comic book.

The story does start off slow since it was deliberate so that audience can understand how characters behave when they’re dealing with grief. Even as it becomes clear that it’s not an easy thing to go through where Becca is annoyed by her group meeting because a couple talks about angels. For Howie, Becca’s behavior becomes embarrassing as he would later embarrass himself at a meeting through a different form of behavior. Even as they would both go into their own individual journeys to find some form of comfort or someone they can talk to. For Becca, it’s Jason and for Howie, it’s Gabby.

Director John Cameron Mitchell’s approach to the storytelling is definitely very intimate but also in a very theatrical setting. Shot on location in cities near New York City, Mitchell’s approach was to broaden the play by setting it in a small-town, suburban world while maintaining its focus on the characters. Even as he creates broad yet straightforward compositions to the way characters interact while being subjective in scenes where the camera is at the group meeting as an attendee.

One of Mitchell’s most notable moments as a director is the way he presents the scene where the moment of Danny’s death happens. It’s in a stylized approach but presented not in a sensationalized nor graphic presentation. It’s also in how it inter-cuts with the moments that Becca and Howie are having individually. It’s clear that Mitchell is becoming more confident and refined as a director. Even in the way he just lets the acting do the talking without over-playing or under-playing scenes. Even in finding some semblance of humor for the film as he reveals that when it comes to grief. There are no easy answers as it’s tough to get through and eventually, they move on. Overall, it’s Mitchell at his most mature as he is becoming one of the most interesting filmmakers working today.

Cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco does excellent work with the film‘s lush, springtime look of the film with its green grasses and trees along with bluish shots for some of the film‘s exterior evening scenes. For the interior scenes at night, there’s a wonderful dark-yellow look that plays to the somber tone of the film. Editor Joe Klotz does some fantastic work with the film’s methodical yet straightforward editing. Even in creating some rhythmic cuts for the film’s intense, dramatic moments along with the flashback montage of Danny’s death.

Production designer Kalina Ivanov, along with set decorator Diana Salzburg and art director Ola Maslik, does an amazing job with the film‘s look for the home of Becca and Howie with its upper-middle class look and feel along with Danny‘s room. Even the artwork such as Jason’s comic book is a real highlight of the film since it does play to what Becca’s character is looking for. Costume designer Ann Roth does a real good job with the costumes from the street-like, youthful clothing that Becca’s sister Izzy and her boyfriend Auggie wears to the more casual, clothing that Howie and Becca wears.

Sound editor Benjamin Cheah does some good work with the sound work from the atmosphere of the bowling alley for Izzy‘s birthday to the intimate scenes of the park and group meetings. Music composer Anton Sanko does a wonderful job with the film’s plaintive yet somber score with soft strings and a piano. Notably with some melancholic tracks to play to the dramatic tone along with music from Al Green, David Soul, and others played quietly throughout the film.

The casting by Sig De Miguel and Stephen Vincent is magnificent as it’s definitely one of the film’s highlights. Notably with appearances from Jon Tenney as a friend/co-worker of Howie, Patricia Kalember as a neighbor, Jay Wilkison as a former co-worker of Becca, Phoenix List in flashback appearances as the late child Danny, and in the varied roles of the group meeting attendees, Rob Campbell, Yetta Gottesman, Colin Mitchell, and Deidre Goodwin. Stephen Mailer is pretty good as Gabby’s husband and group leader Kevin while Giancarlo Esposito is excellent as the lively, fun Auggie. Tammy Blanchard is wonderful as Becca’s brash though grateful sister Izzy who finds herself at the wrong places in the wrong time whenever her sister acts out.

Dianne Wiest is great as Becca’s mother Nat who tries to give Becca some advice while saying some strange things as Weist really brings humor and depth to a character that understands grief. Sandra Oh is superb as Gabby, a mother in mourning who becomes friends with Howie as she is revealing to be in pain for something other than the loss of her child. Oh brings some needed humor to the film as she displays the things people need when they want to get back into the real world with such a calm, carefree performance. The film’s biggest surprise is newcomer Miles Teller as Jason, a young teenage boy who is traumatized for what he’s done while becoming a companion for Becca’s own personal journey. Teller’s quiet yet mesmerizing performance is definitely one of amazement as the chemistry he has with Nicole Kidman is fascinating where he manages to be equals with her.

Aaron Eckhart delivers what is definitely his best performance to date as Howie. Eckhart plays a man who is trying to move on and attend group meetings while wanting the memories of his son around him. Yet, when he sees that those reminders are being removed and has a hard time trying to move on. It’s a remarkable role for Eckhart who often plays creeps or crazy men as he allows himself to be vulnerable and sympathetic.

Finally, there’s Nicole Kidman in what is definitely her best role since Lars von Trier’s 2003 film Dogville. After a period of some uninspired roles in mainstream films to vanity-driven performances in art-house projects. Kidman returns to form as a grieving mother trying to move forward while wanting to get rid of the pain she’s feeling. It’s a raw performance from Kidman where at times, she acts like a bitch and lash out at people. Then, there’s the quiet moments where she doesn’t go into theatrics and just be calm. Particularly her scenes with Miles Teller that really shows Kidman at her best. Overall, it’s a film that reminds audience why Nicole Kidman is a great actress.

Rabbit Hole is a haunting yet intriguing film from John Cameron Mitchell that is led by fantastic performances from Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart. Fans of Mitchell’s work will find this to be his most conventional and least radical work of his career. Still, it is also his most mature work to date as he is refining his work as a director. Audiences looking for a drama that deals with grief will find this film as something more realistic and engaging though it does start off slow. In the end, Rabbit Hole is a superb and mesmerizing drama from John Cameron Mitchell.

John Cameron Mitchell Films: Hedwig & the Angry Inch - Shortbus - How to Talk to Girls at Parties - The Auteurs #66: John Cameron Mitchell

© thevoid99 2011

Shortbus

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/20/07.

After the cult-success of his 2001 debut film Hedwig & the Angry Inch based on his 1998 off-Broadway play, John Cameron Mitchell was a hero among the independent film community. Taking time off to host IFC's Escape from Hollywood film series showcasing a variety of independent films while spending time being an activist for gay rights. In 2004, Mitchell and fellow iconic gay director Gus Van Sant served as executive producers for the documentary feature Tarnation that drew rave reviews where Mitchell embarked on his next project exploring the world of straight and gay sex and the loneliness of young people. For this project, Mitchell chose to use non-professional actors and use unsimulated, explicit sex that would be entitled Shortbus.

Written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell, Shortbus tells the story of several young people dealing with their own sexuality in New York City as a sex therapist explores her own sexuality. While taking a cast of actors who haven't been a lot of films or haven't acted at all, Mitchell goes for a natural, realistic approach in how people deal with their emotions and their own sexual awakening. The result is truly one of the most sensational and inspiring films of 2006 as Mitchell matures as a storyteller and as a director.

It's a typical day in New York City where a dominatrix named Severin (Lindsay Beamish) is punishing a client named Jesse (Adam Hardman) while a gay couple named James (Paul Dawson) and Jamie (PJ DeBoy) are having problems. James and Jamie go to couple counseling sessions with a therapist named Sofia (Sook-Yin Lee). The Canadian-Chinese woman is having problems achieving an orgasm that has put a damper in her marriage to Rob (Raphael Barker). After a discussion with James and Jamie, they take her to a club called Shortbus where she meets Severin as well as group of eccentric people including transvestite Justin Bond (Justin Bond), a young man named Ceth (Jay Brannan), and former NYC mayor named Tobias (Alan Mandell). James and Jamie take in Ceth, who they find attractive in order to open their relationship more as James has been spooked by death lately after finding a dead man in a pool where he's a lifeguard. Sofia continues to walk around in the club where she encounters an orgy where she sees a beautiful straight couple (Shanti Carson and Jan Hilmer) having the kind of sex that Sofia had been wanting.

Hoping to get help from Severin about her orgasmic problems, Sofia learns that Severin has been feeling very lonely and often lashes out at her problems in being a dominatrix. Sofia and Severin help each other while James' depression worsens as a young man named Caleb (Peter Stickles) watches across from his building. Hoping to improve their sex life, Sofia and Rob attend the Shortbus club where Sofia wears a vibrating egg in order to help reach her big orgasm. She bonds with Justin Bond about sex while comforting Severin during a tense, emotional moment. During a game of spin-the-bottle, Severin and James connect about their loneliness as James later meets Caleb. After a frustrating event with Rob, Sofia is desperate to find some way to reach an orgasm as everyone from the Shortbus club try to ponder their own lives and sexuality.

New York City has been known as a city where even the strangest or out-of-place person can find some kind of community or club to even connect to. For Shortbus, it's really about people dealing and learning about their own sexuality as well as their own emotional dysfunctions. For the openly-gay writer/director John Cameron Mitchell, he's aware that people have trouble trying to find their place in the world and sex is something that they can easily connect or have a hard time understanding. In the end, it's all about connections. While his script doesn't have much of a plot, it's more driven by characters and how they react to each other emotionally and sexually. Whether it's Sofia trying to find an orgasm, James trying to discover his own dysfunctions in his own little film, or Severin trying to connect through sadomasochism. It's all about people wanting some kind of comfort and companionship whether it's sexual or not.

Mitchell's direction is similar to not just the loose, improvisational style of Robert Altman as well as the character study of Gus Van Sant. Mitchell truly has matured as a director by engaging his camera into some heavy, deep moments where the characters are trying to understand something. Then there's the sex where it may be called explicit to some due to scenes of ejaculation, penetration, masturbation, oral sex, and all sorts of hijinks. Mitchell approaches it with realism but also with great care where the sex is important to the film in relation to what the characters are feeling or how they are reacting to each other. Some times it's playful, other times it's pretty deep. Even the orgy sequences where people are having unsimulated sex might seem shocking but it serves to convey the sense of connection that the characters are trying to find. Mitchell's direction and his decision to use New York City as the center point is inspiring where he proves that even in the strangest of places, there is someone for everyone.

Cinematographer Frank G. DeMarco brings a lot of color and style to his camerawork with some intimate lighting shades and some wonderfully stylish shots including a green light during the spa-pool scenes with Sofia and Severin. Production designer Judy Asnes and set decorator Sarah McMillan do excellent work in creating the unique look that is Shortbus with costume designers Bart Mueller and Kurt Swanson created wonderfully fabulous costumes for the characters at the club. Editor Brian A. Kates doe some excellent cutting and pacing to give the film a nice pacing along with perspective cuts for the characters and how they react to something. Sound designer Benjamin Cheah also does excellent work to convey the atmosphere and emotions of what's going on.

Animator John Bair creates unique special effects by creating a wonderful model of NYC with all of its unique buildings and landmarks with the lights of the bridges that are just unique in between some of the film's sequences. The film's music is wonderfully assembled with a wonderfully melodic, unique score by the indie band Yo La Tengo along with some music by Animal Collective, Azure Ray, Scott Matthew, Justin Bond, Anita O'Day, Ari Gold, and many more ranging from jazz-pop standards to indie music.

The film's huge ensemble cast includes some memorable small performances and cameos from Tarnation director Jonathan Caouette, Hedwig star Miriam Shor, a musician named Bitch (no really), Shanti Carson, Jan Hilmer, Paul Oakley Stovall as a club patron named Magnus, Bradford Scobie as a club patron named Dr. Donut, Ray Rivas as the drag Shabbos Goy, and musician Scott Matthew as the club's bandleader. Alan Mandell is great as an aging ex-mayor who expresses his regrets of not being more helping while giving advice to the young Ceth. Adam Hardman is excellent as submissive Jesse who wants to be beaten and try to talk to the more aggressive Severin. Justin Bond is wonderful as the club's owner and leader who reveals to Sofia of what it takes to connect with others as his presence lights up the room. Peter Stickles is great as stalker Caleb who pines for the same affection that James and Jamie has while not wanting them to see the two breakup. Jay Brannan is wonderful as the young Ceth who is attracted to both James and Jamie while being unaware of James' depression.

Raphael Barker is excellent as the concerned yet confused Rob who wants to help Sofia while trying to explore his own sexuality through any means. PJ DeBoy is wonderful as the more upbeat, open-minded Jamie who wants to find something positive despite his lack of realism and understanding towards James’ depression. Paul Dawson is amazing as the depressed, artsy James who is haunted by death and ponders his own existence while having a great scene with Severin that briefly mentions My Own Private Idaho by Gus Van Sant. Lindsay Beamish is great as the sadomasochistic Severin who is trying to find some kind of connection in her lonely world while trying to make it as an artist as Beamish shines in her brilliant performance. Sook-Yin Lee is just amazing as the frustrated Sofia who tries to find her own place in the world of sex while discovering all of these people and finding ways to connect with anyone who understands how her own problems.

The Region 1 DVD from ThinkFilm presents the film in a 16:9 Anamorphic Full-Frame Presentation of 1:78:1 ratio with 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound plus Spanish and French subtitles and English Closed Caption. The DVD extras includes three different trailers for the film including a teaser, and two different trailers featuring an intro from John Cameron Mitchell. The first is a censored, theatrical trailer and the other is the uncensored, explicit internet trailer. Trailers for other films like Terry Gilliam's Tideland, Candy, Lie with Me, and Off the Black. The thirty-minute making-of documentary Gifted and Challenged: The Making of Shortbus reveals the process that went on into making this film.

Starting in 2003 with producer Howard Gertler, Mitchell posted a website talking about an untitled sex project he wanted to do. In response to the way European approached sex on film, Mitchell wanted to do something that was a more positive response. He and Gertler received several thousand tapes before choosing around 400 that included a tape from Tarnation director Jonathan Caouette which was a clip from that eventual film. Mitchell invited the 400 people for a thing in New York City before choosing nine people that included Sook-Yin Lee, Paul Dawson, Raphael Barker, PJ DeBoy, Peter Stickles, and Jay Brannan. Before going into a workshop and a STD test, the actors and Mitchell collaborated on the characters while Mitchell worked on his screenplay. Three of the people later dropped out in early 2004 with funding all falling through. Even worse is that when Sook-Yin Lee, a well-known radio personality in Canada was found out to star in a film that would feature explicit sex. A Canadian radio company threatened to fire until people like Francis Ford Coppola, Gus Van Sant, Julianne Moore, Bart Freudelich, and Moby came on board and helped Lee.

Mitchell finally got more auditions in Los Angeles brought in Lindsay Beamish and many others where by early 2005, the film found distributors and funding. The budget at $2 million was shot in the summer of 2005 Mitchell and the actors collaborated heavily on what to do. Even crew members got to contribute something. By the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, the film got a chance to premiere in its intended glory as it received a huge ovation. The eight-minute How to Shoot Sex: A Docu-Primer reveals how Mitchell and his team shot the orgy scenes where in order to make the extras known as "Sextras" comfortable, Mitchell and his cameraman did go nude where Mitchell participated in the orgy scenes. Often focusing on one couple while others are having sex. Mitchell reveals that only a small crew and the actors got to watch what's going on in order to get everyone comfortable. It's a fine little featurette revealing the process of what goes when shooting sex scenes.

The 30-minute deleted/extended scenes includes extended conversations between Jesse and Severin, Sofia and Shabbos with a scene where Ceth meets the ex-mayor Tobias, a deleted scene between Sofia and Rob about orgasms, and a scene where Ceth has a failed conversation with Magnus. An extended sequence where Sofia talks to Bitch and other women where she meets Severin where a discussion about porno and the differences between gay and lesbian porn is one of the more interesting ones. An extended scene with Sofia and Justin Bond watching the orgy while discussing needs that is wonderful sequence in itself. An extended where Sofia leaves a therapy session is very haunting which would convey her own angst while several deleted scenes involving Caleb who watches James and Jamie in their everyday life while dealing with his own work involving a certain leader. Featuring a commentary track from director John Cameron Mitchell along with cast members on each scene where they talk about the deleted scenes and their experience shooting the scenes. They were obviously cut due to length and pacing issues.

The feature-length commentary track from Mitchell, Sook-Yin Lee, Paul Dawson, PJ DeBoy, and Justin Bond. The commentary is done in great fun as the cast and Mitchell watch the opening sex scenes that made Lee a bit uncomfortable while they laugh at a few moments. They also discuss the casting process and production while Mitchell admitted to cutting fifteen minutes of the film, some are seen on the deleted scenes, due to length reasons. The sex is discussed as Mitchell and the cast where they don't think it's a big deal but difficult to shoot not because people are staring but trying to put on condoms and stuff, including vibrators. Overall, it's an enjoyable and entertaining commentary.

Following the film's premiere at Cannes, Shortbus was released in the U.S. in its uncut, uncensored form with an unrated rating. While it received mixed reviews, the film did find an audience through art-house and specialty theaters. Probably due to the controversy, the film did manage to do well despite its non-rating it received.

While it's not as entertaining or as accessible as Hedwig & the Angry Inch, Shortbus is still a brilliant, sensational effort from John Cameron Mitchell. Fans of Hedwig will no doubt find this film enjoyable and shocking while average filmgoers might or might not be into the film's sexual content. Still, this isn't a movie about sex but sexuality and human connection as Mitchell has now put himself into the elite list of cinematic voices for not just gay/straight audience but anyone who understands in being an outsider. For a film that celebrates life in all of its dysfunctions and sexual glory, Shortbus is the film to go see.

John Cameron Mitchell Films: Hedwig & the Angry Inch - Rabbit Hole - How to Talk to Girls at Parties - The Auteurs #66: John Cameron Mitchell

© thevoid99 2011

Hedwig & the Angry Inch

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 4/9/04 w/ Additional Edits.

Musicals have always been a genre people either love or hate, even if it’s in Broadway. While recently, Chicago brought the musical back into the silver screen after winning Best Picture.  The musical is still a genre some have a hard time to swallow. For some people, the rock opera has always been a great alternative since the music isn’t just more accessible but there’s also something refreshing. One example of that is an off-Broadway play called Hedwig & the Angry Inch about an East German transsexual rock star trying to gain exposure while suing his protege for plagiarism. The cult success of the glam-inspired play by John Cameron Mitchell with music by Stephen Trask gave the play’s creators a chance to turn into a film of the same named as it was released at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival to widespread acclaim.

Written, directed, and starring John Cameron Mitchell in the role of Hedwig of Hedwig & the Angry Inch, the film is about a young East German man who becomes a woman after a botched sex change operation as he desires to become a rock star only to be in the shadow of his protege while being at odds with his new one. The film is filled with mindless comedy, intense drama, and ass-kicking songs of love and rock n’ roll with music by the film’s original composer Stephen Trask, who plays a role as a member of the Angry Inch. With a cast that includes Michael Pitt, Andrea Martin, Alberta Watson, and original member of the play Miriam Shor.  Hedwig & the Angry Inch is one of the most spectacular, dizzying musicals from John Cameron Mitchell..

The music world is in a clamor as millions of teens are in awe of a new rock star. The songs of ambiguity and love are adored by millions as the individual is become a favorite with the industry, MTV, and teenyboppers. Unfortunately, it’s not Hedwig as he watches his own protege Tommy Gnosis (Michael Pitt) becoming the rocker he wants to be. With Gnosis embarking on a tour of the U.S., Hedwig and his band, the Angry Inch that consists of European immigrants along with new bearded-woman protege Yitzhak (Miriam Shor), decided to follow Tommy on tour with manager Phyllis Stein (Andrea Martin) as Hedwig is suing Tommy for plagiarism since the songs were really done by Hedwig. The transsexual rocker talks about his suit and Tommy as he tours restaurants across the venues Tommy is playing while a devoted following of Hedheads are following him with each show.

For Yitzhak, her relationship with Hedwig is starting to disintegrate as Hedwig still has feelings for Tommy while Hedwig and the band scrape by to play gigs. Hedwig tells stories of his life on how he as a child named Hansel (Ben Mayer-Goodman) is born in West Germany during the building of the Berlin Wall as his mother Hedwig (Alberta Watson) moves to East Berlin to work in the Communist area. Without a father and living in a small apartment, Hedwig would be influenced by the American music he heard in U.S. Air Forces radio that played soft-rockers like Debby Boone, Toni Tenille, and Anne Murray to the crypto-homo rockers of Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and David Bowie. By the time he got older and was sunbathing, Hansel then meets up with a U.S. army sergeant named Luther (Maurice Dean Wint) who gives him colorful gummy bears and decides to marry him but in order to do that and go to America. His mother gives him her name and a sex change operation that leads to a chaotic song where Hedwig and the Angry Inch plus Hedheads and Phyllis embark on a brawl.

Hedwig recalls his arrival to Junction City, Kansas as Luther leaves him for another dude with Hedwig taking his fate in song. At this point with Luther gone, Hedwig scrapes buy with baby-sitting gigs to form his band filled with Korean housewives as he meets with a Jesus-freak boy named Tommy. Tommy falls for Hedwig as Hedwig takes him under his wing as they write songs, give him his name Tommy Gnosis and teach him about rock n’ roll. Soon, they were outselling monster trucks in Wichita as Tommy struggles to leave his conservative parents as he and Hedwig fall for each until Tommy discovers something that leaves out something cold and in response, the betrayal. Hedwig continually tries to confront Tommy later on as he became famous while Yitzhak, she decides to leave the group to join the play Rent as Hedwig finally meets him, they get into trouble and Hedwig finally becomes the star he’s wanted but at a huge price.

While turning a play into a film is pretty hard to do, thankfully since it was John Cameron Mitchell’s play, he manages to do a successful transition. In keeping with the stage-like tone of the original play, Mitchell brings in a film that isn’t just funny and dramatic but entertaining to watch in his direction and screenplay. Even the film’s pop culture references and animations along with Frank G. DeMarco’s colorful cinematography give life to the original play as the film plays out as something fun and outrageous. Mitchell doesn’t even try to play it safe as far as sexuality is concerned while belting out hilarious props including a penis wearing a pope’s hat, which is filled with ambiguity and comedy. In some cases, the film definitely has a lot of glam rock references, including the end, notably its biggest influence is obviously David Bowie and his Ziggy Stardust character. There are some elements of Ziggy in the film as Bowie himself, receives a special thanks credit as the rock legend often praised the play and film for years.

The film’s music by Stephen Trask is clearly one of the best musicals and scores ever written. It’s dreamy, evocative score gives out to the film’s cinematic, emotional tone while the music is diverse in its campiest and attitude. From its ballad The Origin of Love to fun rock songs like Sugar Daddy, Wig In A Box, Wicked Little Town, to the hard-charging “Angry Inch” with its famous chorus of, “Six inches forwards and five inches, I got an angry inch”. The film plays up to the glam rock music of the 1970s in modern fashion with John Cameron Mitchell doing many of the vocals as composer Trask sings the versions for Tommy Gnosis. If Hedwig & the Angry Inch were real, they’d probably have a few masterpieces out right now.

While the film’s ensemble cast that has a group of small but fine performances, even the actors playing Hedwig’s band the Angry Inch, the most well known is Rob Campbell of Boys Don’t Cry and The Photographer, are fun to watch in their roles. Alberta Watson is excellent as Hedwig’s scornful but caring mother as she often throws tomatoes at him for singing Lou Reed or dancing on the bed to rock n’ roll as she is fun to watch. Maurice Dean Wint is even more hilarious as the sultry Luther with his soul-deep voice and seductive look as he plays up to the fantasy of every gay man. Andrea Martin is funny as the manager that is filled with many cliches that are outshined by Martin’s comedic talents. Miriam Shor is awesome as the scorned lover Yitzhak as she tries not to be in Hedwig’s band, as she desires to be pretty and be the leader while being the only person standing up to Hedwig’s demands. Michael Pitt is amazing as the boyish-looking Tommy Gnosis as he starts out innocently while portraying that sad look perfectly as the glossy, Marilyn Manson-wannabe rocker as he looks great on screen.

The star of the film John Cameron Mitchell as the title character of Hedwig delivers an exhilarating performance as the transsexual rocker. Mitchell brings in not just elements of camp into his film while not afraid to parody all sorts of rock star behaviors. In the film’s funnier moments, he just shines, as he likes to shock and play around in his German accent. In the dramatic scenes, he doesn’t act like the troubled, despair figure of most rockers as he restrains himself from being emotional. Mitchell is Hedwig and there’ll probably never be another character as great as that.

While fans of traditional musicals might not like the glam-rock tone or camp of Hedwig & the Angry Inch, rock fans though will enjoy because of its music and subversive comedy tactics. With great performances from Pitt, Shor, and the film’s creator John Cameron Mitchell, it’s a film that is filled with laughs and musical moments that will make you sing along. Go put on some makeup, get a blond wig, and a dress and get ready to sing some great songs and be a punk rock star in Hedwig & the Angry Inch.

John Cameron Mitchell Films:  Shortbus - Rabbit Hole - How to Talk to Girls at Parties - The Auteurs #66: John Cameron Mitchell

© thevoid99 2011