Everybody's Talking About Jamie

You can tell this was filmed in 2019. Jamie feels like a pre-pandemic LGBT movie musical, if ever there was one.

The heart and charm of the stage musical is not apparent in this adaptation. It feels like an ode to narcissism and self-obsession, rather than a tribute to self-expression. Maybe this film would have had resonance fifteen years ago, but it feels so out of sync with the current zeitgeist. The more it tries to be inspiring, the more on-the-nose and garish it becomes, and the more I want to crawl back into my metaphorical closet...

The main fault of this film is the direction. It lacks vision. It's trying to be a 2000s British feel-good movie one minute, then the next it's a parody of a Netflix teen drama. Either way, with the number of stereotypes it perpetuates, it feels like an LGBT story more concerned with pleasing its straight audience than its gay one. If it had rooted itself in a time and place - 2010 Sheffield - examined that culture, and honed in on the mother-son emotional centre, then it could have been something interesting.

It's not a bad film, per se. It just doesn't know what note it's trying to hit... But, alas, the doe-eyed beauty of Sarah Lancashire's performance broke my heart and Work of Art will always be that bop...

6/10.

I watched this cautiously as I had not seen the musical on stage, and somehow I felt I was too old to be interested, and I was wrong!! This is a tremendous film and the plot no doubt has been explained over and over again. Jamie is the 16 year old who realises he is a part of Gay History, and that drag queen which he wants to be had also been a cornerstone of that History. The key scene was when Richard E. Grant sings a homage to the 1980's and 90's when drag queens died of AIDS and there is heart wrenching footage of Princess Diana visiting hospitals and hospices. It all made sense; the whole purpose of the film in showing those aspects of Gay History that still many choose to forget. Jamie takes on that continuing History of bullying, mockery, as well as help at home and in school. Sarah Lancashire is moving as his devoted mother trying to hide him from the fact that his father wants to disown him as his son, and despite all the songs that vary in quality I love this film for its bravery in showing us that a 16 year old can be a part of the revolution, which is the perhaps never ending legacy of Gay History, and for every supporter there is a homophobe who wants to destroy that History. A film for all ages and a welcome breath of fresh air. A perfect film for the children of the future in any country that is hostile towards homosexuality that I can think of. A deserved 10.

It is hard to combine two potentially opposite things. To be yourself and to fit in. Much harder if you happen to be a teenager. "Everybody's talking about Jamie" is a fairytale. Based on real people, but nevertheless a fairytale. Young, effeminate, gay 16-year boy, abandoned by his father, with hopes and dreams and the grim reality of Sheffield, industrial city in southern Yorkshire. Not the greatest starting point for an aspiring drag queen. But then, aren't the starting points way overrated. Charming fairytale for our, all but charming, depressing times.

I can only image the ridiculously low score for this film is due to homophobia and general intolerance because it is way, way better than 5.6.

This is a hugely enjoyable film, with some fabulous performances from all of the cast. In these times where we seem to be going backwards in terms of tolerance, it's great to see such a positive film about identity and sexuality, of wanting to be different and showing relationships between people of such different backgrounds and origins.

Richard E Grant is absolutely fantastic as the old drag queen just as Max Harwood is as the young one. Love the relationships between Jamie and Pritti, Sarah Lancashire is great as always she always is and Shobna Gulati is a hoot.

I really hope that people look past the score here and read the glowing reviews of the films. Even as someone who is straight and who likes different music to this, I found this film to thoroughly entertaining .

Max Harwood delivers a standout debut performance in this camp coming-of-age musical, which features dazzling musical numbers, great costumes and set designs and an over-the-top drag queen performance by the wonderful Richard E. Grant. I could do with less of the gay clichéd themes - they are cringey.