The Man Who Would Be Queen (2007) User Reviews

the man who would be queen

[paulineme · 8/10 · 7 October 2007]

I saw this film at the Raindance Film Festival last Sunday and thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is about Hugo's birthday party in his countryside home with wife (Anna) and friends (Steve and Wendy). Problem is he planned a quiet weekend but an uninvited friend turns up and we are then embarked on a roller-coaster of crazy events...the film is quirky, hilarious at times and you are totally absorbed by the various plots, time just flies by. An excellent cast with the 5 main characters very convincing, I liked the close-ups on people's faces/eyes and the photography and music. Colourful and different, a good all round movie reminding me of movies like Abigail's Party and Festen.

An enjoyable and thought provoking study of intimate relationships

[thewazyr · 8/10 · 6 October 2007]

I really enjoyed this film, and found myself thinking about it and reliving it's dreamlike qualities long after the viewing at The Raindance Film Festival. It was very well cast and gave every impression of a well integrated company of actors who were at one with both the production itself, and each other in particular. However, there were several difficulties with the narrative. The opening scene in the night club, although well shot, had a jarring amateurish approach which was at odds with the remainder of the film. Hugo's transformation from 'a man's man' to a 'screaming Queen' was insufficiently well charted to make it believible. In short, there were too few clues for the audience to follow within the 'flashback' story device,(the bum bite not withstanding.)The ending seemed to have been grafted on as an afterthought and did not sit well with the sudden reconcilliation of the two protagonists as friends and employer and employee. Although Hugo was played with a masterful touch, it was the portrayal of Anna that gained my admiration, an excellent study in understated rebellion and repressed revenge. I would pay to see this film again, despite the flaws in the storyline, as the individual performances gave such depth to the quartet's interwoven relationships that would. in my opinion, withstand further exploration.