Worth: $16.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Hugo André, Will Masheter, Ezekiel Martin
Intro:
... a genuine and unforced feel good flick, with a good helping of humour plus something meaningful to say.
Dan is a divorced London stockbroker and aspiring drag queen. Sacha is a French ex-chef and aspiring food blogger who rents a room in Dan’s house. Will Masheter is superb as Dan – a character who knows exactly who he is but is unable to be that person out in an unforgiving world – while Hugo André brings a subtle humour to his role as the shy Sacha.
Masheter and André co-wrote, while André directed. As writers, they’ve taken the ‘show, don’t tell’ maxim seriously. Almost every thing we see Dan and Sacha do reveals something about their inner lives – the way Dan grooms himself in front of the mirror, or the care that the fastidious Sacha takes when trying to find a comfortable spot to eat his carefully prepared breakfast.
The understated wit that threads itself through this dramedy, combined with its likeable leads, make this an enjoyable and warmly entertaining film. But it’s somewhat uneven, as if Sacha’s stilted ways have somehow seeped into the film itself. It also has a minimal sense of place. It’s set in London, apparently, but could be almost anywhere in England.
Makeup is not just about the slow build of an odd couple friendship, it also depicts discrimination. The film shows adults behaving like giggly school children and schoolyard bullies. It’s sad to watch what Dan faces at work after two of his colleagues – who are surprised to find out that the Midnight Mistresses are, in fact, an all-male act – unexpectedly see him performing in drag at a club.
Deservedly picking up several awards and nominations on the film festival circuit, Makeup is a genuine and unforced feel good flick, with a good helping of humour plus something meaningful to say.
