Kinky Boots

...is market for his titular kinky boots?

Director Julian Jarrold is best known for his work at the helm of Channel 4's "White Teeth". His television background shows itself throughout "Kinky Boots". There is a lack of invention in the direction that relies heavily on the charm of the actors and doesn't step beyond the inevitable establishing shots inter-spliced with close-ups of the heroes. There are one or two montages ...
...Then there are the titular kinky boots that feature sky-scraping heels and all manner of unusual fabrics. They aren't so much footwear as wearable art in some cases.

"Kinky Boots" is a thoroughly enjoyable feel-good film with engaging lead performances, a hummable soundtrack and some verbal sparkle. However, there is nothing to set it apart from the many other light British comedies about triumph over adversity. It largely ... more

Having been called back to Northampton after his father's death, Charlie is forced to take over the family's shoe business. But things aren't going as well as he was lead to believe and he'll have to lay off staff unless he can revitalise the company. Enter Lola, a cross-dressing cabaret star from London, dying for a decent pair of feminine shoes in men's sizes. Can Charlie convince his conservative staff and the buyers at the Milan Shoe Fair that there is market for his titular kinky boots?

Director Julian Jarrold is best known for his work at the helm of Channel 4's "White Teeth". His television background shows itself throughout "Kinky Boots". There is a lack of invention in the direction that relies heavily on the charm of the actors and doesn't step beyond the inevitable establishing shots inter-spliced with close-ups of the heroes. There are one or two montages of the shoe-making process and Charlie's unwilling round of sackings, but they are rather too predictable to be anything other than mundane. Similarly, the juxtaposition of the two leads' childhood flashbacks makes for a mildly engaging but not terribly surprising back-story for each of them. Like most British comedies it feels small and cheery, but doesn't provide the belly-laughs you'd expect from a big-screen outing. It may be something to do with our sense of self-deprecating humour or it could be the omnipresent leaden skies that permeate this and many other movies. Jarrold knows how to frame a joke, but they've all been told before so lack any real punch. The pacing is relatively snappy but you can tell where the story is going from the beginning. It's only when Lola comes onto the scene that the movie kicks into high gear and when she's not on screen, things tend to (if you'll pardon the pun) drag. The problem is that the director seems content to mope about as much as leading man Charlie. The result being that you're far less interested in the shoe-maker than you should be, so you aren't that bothered by what happens to him. Though affectionate towards his stars and competent in his direction, there's nothing that suggest Jarrold is more than a rank and file director struck lucky.

"Calendar Girls" scribe Tim Firth is clearly a fan of the feel-good genre. In British cinema there is a history of championing the underdog. There is also a tradition of social realist film-making that harks back to the kitchen sink dramas of the 1960s'. The melding of both has led to a sub-genre that pushes the "grim up north" stereotype while tempering the social commentary with broad strokes of humour. "Kinky Boots" is very much in that vein; setting the action in a failing shoe factory where the new owner has to lay people off if he can't find a new product. The protagonists all have a whiff of the stock character about them. Charlie is set up as the reluctant hero; bumbling, well-meaning but not terribly driven. He seemingly continues his father's business through sentimentality rather than any good reason. His relationships with his girlfriend and love interest are entirely predictable and there's never a moment you think there won't be a happy ending. Lola is the latest in a long line of non-threatening cross dressers that ties into the pantomime dame tradition. Her quick-fire retorts are dry enough to amuse, but not clever or original enough to be memorable. But it's almost as though the British are ashamed to be too funny for too long. We don't do long series of gags or allow more than one larger-than-life character at a time and everything has to be tempered with a socially-aware references. The pacing and plotting of the movie are almost by-the-numbers and for every downturn, you know there's going to be an uplifting antidote. Though there is a hint of a possible relationship between Charlie and Lola, this intriguing concept is never pursued. Instead Firth plays it straight by throwing in an under-written female love interest for the factory owner. There is some enjoyable banter amongst the dialogue, the majority of which goes to Lola. S/he has a great deal more license than the other characters, who tend towards recycled viewpoints from other films or television.

Aussie actor Joel Edgerton showcases an almost flawless English accent as reluctant shoe factory-owner Charlie. There isn't much he can do to overcome the script that has him as little more than the stereotypical nice guy. So he goes along with it, throwing himself into the part of the awkward but well-meaning bumbler. It's a warm and affectionate performance but Edgerton never seems to flesh the character out properly. So Charlie remains a nice but rather wet boy, who doesn't seem to deserve anything because he spends so much time being a doormat.

Chiwetel Ejiofor continues his push to become Britain's most employable actor as the cross-dressing Lola. He's surprisingly convincing as the drag queen; mainly because he veers away from caricature and plays the part with a great deal of warmth and humanity. He knows his choice of lifestyle is unusual but is totally comfortable with it and staunchly defends his right to be different. Always straightforward, his honesty is disarming and makes the character feel truthful. He also very funny and has sublime timing that brings out the wilfully perverse side of the character. He's a got a decent northern accent on him and a great pair of legs. He sashays about as though he was born in heels and belts his song and dance routines out. Though he may not be the greatest singer in the world, he succeeds through sheer force of personality.

Sarah-Jane Potts is cut adrift by the script that gives her little other than default love interest status. Though the character is clearly meant to be a feisty girl that speaks her mind, Potts plays it too soppy and all we see is her snapping and mooning after Charlie for no apparent reason. The rest of the cast comprises of familiar but largely unnameable faces from British television. All work nicely as part of the ensemble, but their character development is so paper-thin that they aren't given the opportunity to stand out. Nick Frost is a one-dimensional stupid bigot, while Jemima Rooper is a standard TV bitch as Charlie's ambitious girlfriend.

The score by Adrian Johnston is entirely non-threatening background music that uses warm rising strings to shore up the comfy atmosphere of the film. It's entirely unintrusive, so you barely notice it's there. The same cannot be said of the rest of the soundtrack; whether it's blowsy Cuban salsa or disco hits of yesteryear, it's hardly subtle. Of course it fits in with Lola's stage career, but there are a few less obvious choices, whether it's Nina Simone or "A Man's World". However, it's the likes of "I Can Boogie" and "Mr Big Stuff" that are the real toe-tappers, belted out by Mr Ejiofor with gusto.

Costume designer Sammy Sheldon deserves kudos for making the rather masculine Chiwetel Ejiofor look good in a dress. He manages to give him hips and though sticking to transvestite glamour (bright colours, luxurious fabrics) makes him reasonably feminine. Then there are the titular kinky boots that feature sky-scraping heels and all manner of unusual fabrics. They aren't so much footwear as wearable art in some cases.

"Kinky Boots" is a thoroughly enjoyable feel-good film with engaging lead performances, a hummable soundtrack and some verbal sparkle. However, there is nothing to set it apart from the many other light British comedies about triumph over adversity. It largely succeeds thanks to Chiwetel Ejiofor's bravura performance that brings more humanity to the part of Lola than the script suggests.
 

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