Kinky Boots ( The Kinky Boot Factory )

Kinky Boots (DVD) (*)

$20.99

Original Title: The Kinky Boot Factory
Screened, competed or awarded at:
British Independent Film Awards
Golden Globes
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 )
English ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
102 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (2.35:1)

Special Features:
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurette
Interactive Menu

Movie filmed in 2005 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Julian Jarrold

Written By:
Geoff Deane
Tim Firth

Actors:
Joel Edgerton ..... Charlie
Chiwetel Ejiofor ..... Lola
Sarah-Jane Potts ..... Lauren
Nick Frost ..... Don
Linda Bassett ..... Melanie
Jemima Rooper ..... Nicola
Robert Pugh ..... Harold Price
Ewan Hooper ..... George
Stephen Marcus ..... Big Mike
Mona Hammond ..... Pat
Kellie Bright ..... Jeannie
Joanna Scanlan ..... Trish
Geoffrey Streatfield ..... Richard Bailey
Leo Bill ..... Harry Sampson
Gwenllian Davies ..... Mrs. Cobb

Synopsis:

Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the strapping hero/heroine of the silly, quasi-inspirational British comedy "Kinky Boots," is the very model of a modern movie drag queen. Flamboyantly confrontational but tenderhearted under her brass, Lola embodies a cross-dressing archetype that is sashaying ever closer to the center stage of pop mythology. She arrives just in time to be the 21st-century replacement for that poignant outcast from an earlier era, the whore with a heart of gold. In "Kinky Boots," the tale of a failing men's shoe factory in the dreary Midlands that saves itself from ruin with the drag queen's help, Lola's being black lends her an extra layer of alienation and insight into oppression, which automatically translates into an extra layer of nobility. The versatile Mr. Ejiofor ("Dirty Pretty Things," "Inside Man"), seizing his opportunity, gnaws on this meaty role like a ravenous dog. Directed by Julian Jarrold, the film is said to be based on a true story. But that doesn't guarantee truthfulness. The facts, whatever they may be, have been beaten into a formulaic, feel-good movie, riddled with plot holes, that has the shape of a ready-made musical

Charles Price may have grown up with his father in the family shoe business, but he never thought that he would take his father's place. Yet, the untimely death of his father places him in that position, only to learn that Price & Sons Shoes is failing. While in despair at his failed attempts to save the business, Charles has a chance encounter with the flamboyant drag queen cabaret singer, Lola. Her complaints about the inadequate footwear for her work combined with one of Charles' ex-employees, Lauren, leads to a suggestion to change the product to create a desperate chance to save the business: make men's fetish footwear. Lola is convinced to be their footwear designer and the transition begins. Now this disparate lot must struggle at this unorthodox idea while dealing both the prejudice of the staff, Lola's discomfort in the small town and the selfish manipulation of Charles' greedy fiancée who cannot see the greater good in Charles' dream.

Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton), owner of the traditional men's footwear factory that has survived in his family for generations, faces the imminent closure of his beloved business which would have a severe impact on the employment prospects of local people. That is, until a chance meeting with flamboyant cabaret act Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor) convinces him that, to stay afloat, his company's footwear range will have to branch out. Turning out stylish kinky boots for transvestites like Lola and her colleagues is not quite what he had in mind... This delightful comedy-drama from director Julian Jarrold, with Capra-esque themes of community and the little man refused to let go of his dreams, is based on actual events in the UK town of Northampton.

This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 14 February, 2012.