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Kinky Boots (2006)
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Reviews Counted:104
Fresh:60
Rotten:44
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: Kinky Boots relies heavily on the Full Monty formula of Britcoms, while playing it too safe in a desperate attempt not to offend. Ejiofor's performance is its redeeming virtue.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for thematic material involving sexuality, and for language.
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Apr 14, 2006 Limited
Box Office: $1,692,769
Synopsis: From the makers of "Calendar Girls" comes an uplifting British comedy about two outcast dreamers who finally figure out how to stand up for themselves . . . in thigh-high leather stilettos.... From the makers of "Calendar Girls" comes an uplifting British comedy about two outcast dreamers who finally figure out how to stand up for themselves . . . in thigh-high leather stilettos. Inspired by a surprising true story, KINKY BOOTS stars Joel Edgerton ("Star Wars: Episode III") as Charlie Price, the young Englishman who inherits his father’s failing shoe factory and, in a rousing comedic turn, Chiwetel Ejiofor ("Dirty Pretty Things") as "Lola," the feisty female impersonator who turns Charlie's world, and the entire luckless factory, inside out and on its way to the catwalks of Milan. With a mix of brassy humor and heartwarming poignancy, KINKY BOOTS explores what happens when people who have spent their entire lives trying to fit in suddenly decide to truly stand out. Charlie Price thinks he has finally escaped the dead-end industrial town of Northampton with his ambitious fiancée Nicola (Jemima Rooper), when his father suddenly passes away, leaving Charlie unexpectedly in charge of the sinking family business in sturdy shoes. Trapped between a world of cheap knock-offs and to-die-for Jimmy Choos, Price & Sons seemingly doesn't need a manager so much as it needs a savior. With mounting dread, Charlie soon realizes that to even stay afloat he's going to have to lay off many of his dad's loyal, life-long employees. Then, one dark night in Soho, Charlie is literally smacked in the face with an idea that could bring the factory roaring back to life. When Charlie meets tough, tender Lola and her teetering high heels, everything changes. They might come from completely different walks of life, but both men have reached a point where they have nothing left to lose by taking a risk. Deciding to buck tradition and boring loafers, Charlie sets out to conquer the brave new world of sexy cross-dressing footwear, with Lola as his fashion advisor. But it isn't just the assembly line that the disarming Lola transforms. As the make-or-break Milan fashion show approaches, everyone in the factory – from the macho Don (Nick Frost "Sean of the Dead") to the stalwart Mel (Linda Bassett) to Charlie's "sole" confidante Lauren (Sarah Jane Potts) – finds the unlikely dreams of Lola and Charlie catching fire. --© Miramax Films [More]
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Sarah-Jane Potts, Jemima Rooper
Starring: Joel Edgerton, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Sarah-Jane Potts, Jemima Rooper, Linda Bassett, Nick Frost, Robert Pugh, Josh Cole, Kellie Bright
Director: Julian Jarrold
Director: Julian Jarrold
Producer: Nick Barton, Suzanne Mackie
Composer: Adrian Johnston
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
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Release:
Sep 5, 2006
Reviews for Kinky Boots
The film falls short of its initially obvious dramatic goals due to the shallow depths that screenwriters Geoff Deane and Tim Firth take their characters.
What Kinky Boots has going for it is a terrific performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor as Lola, who serves as the emotional heart of the film.
It's cheerful, predictable and far from edgy, but buoyed by a likable cast and a standout performance by the versatile Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Kinky Boots stands out for 3 reasons: 1. It's inspired by a true story. 2. It's about what it really means to be a man AND the power of fabulousness. 3. It has the formidable Chiwetel Ejiofor in drag, singing!
Kinky Boots is so loveable and its characters so charming, it may have you forgetting how much of it is firmly rooted in stereotype and cliché.
Overall, it’s breezy, forgettable fluff, but ‘kinky’? Obviously, the term is relative.
The cast of eccentrics is endearing, and the lessons of acceptance slide down easily with minimal emotional manipulation.
It's Ejiofor who takes the film from the realm of good into something verging on greatness.
...If you've seen The Full Monty (or Waking Ned Devine or Calendar Girls or Billy Elliot) then this film's surprises will be few and far between, although no less pleasant for it.
Kinky Boots is a rare and unassuming tale about everyday folk, or shall I say blokes, who climb out of their comfort zones to change their lives for the better without the help of Richard Simmons or Tony Robbins.
You'll giggle and laugh and never look at those things on your feet the same way again.
The betrayals, reconciliations and revelations are forced on us with clockwork precision, and no cliche goes unexplored.
Another 'naughty' British comedy for audiences who love 'Are You Being Served?' but don't want to know whether Mr. Humphries is really supposed to be gay.
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