Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Review!!!
SYNOPSIS: Two drag queens and a transsexual travel across the Australian outback to help one of their wives. Along the way, the find leaving their home turf and venturing out as themselves may not have been the best idea.
ANALYSIS: Er...um...yeah. What exactly was the point? The movie is, ostensibly, a road movie about Bernadette, Felicia and Mitzi strengthening their friendship. However, the reason for the trip is glossed over rather quickly. I was under the impression Mitzi's wife was in trouble (she runs a casino, apparently); however, when the troop arrives, there's little dialogue or even mention of a problem. Is the problem Mitzi's son? Is it that the wife needs a vacation? What is the problem?
And therein lies a lot of the problem in the Australian road movie. There is no point, at least to me. Sure, it does showcase how people outside the United States may be just a vulgar, cruel and closed minded as those in America (especially in 1994) and has three extremely good turns by the lead actors (Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and Terrence Stamp). The scenery is generally very good, considering the obvious no-budget this was shot with. But all of their little adventures...from a drinking contest to meeting friends in the desert to Bob...none of it seems to matter in the end. Everything is reset to square one at the end. Does Mitzi perhaps learn something about straying outside a comfort zone? Sure, but if that was the entire lesson...no thanks.
This here is a movie filled with pop songs, gay jokes, drag and one impossibly beautiful boy (Pearce)...which adds to nothing in the end. All the pretty dresses, makeup and ABBA in the world can't give this pink bus a reason to keep going.