Hedwig

Without gushing, I think that this is the best film to come out of the US in several years. This is the type of movie which demands repeated viewing, and reveals itself a little each time. I'm surprised that the genius of this film didn't receive more accolades at the time, but I attribute that to the socially acceptable restraints of the mass culture.

Absolutely perfect production from top to bottom, makes you laugh out loud... then tears your heart out & puts it back in again. Multi layered & symbolic throughout.

Songwriting by Stephen Trask is sublime. But how the hell can a clown like Eminem get an Oscar & this guy was virtually ignored?! Sickening thought. Cameron Mitchell must have been born for this part... a brave & charismatic perf.

This movie achieves everything that "Velvet Goldmine" (yuck) could not... in a fraction of the time.

Anyway, anyone who's got a little freak in them will love this movie. And those who don't "get it" should be content watching the rest of American mass market trash cinema.

The press kit touts this film as a "Post-punk neo-glam rock odyssey," based on the hit off-broadway show that ran in New York from 1998-2000. Some people have compared it to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, but that's only because it's the only other Glam Rock musical ever made into a movie.

The premise alone should make you want to see it: A rock-and-roll drag queen tells her bizarre life story, starting as a boy in East Berlin, falling in love with an American GI, and going for a sex-change operation, waking up to find nothing but a "one-inch mound of flesh" where her organ should be. The story takes more twists and turns after that, and I don't want to spoil anything.

The story is told mostly through the songs, which are perfect rock and roll gems, on par with the songs from Tommy. After only seeing it once, I walked away singing the words "Six inches forward and five inches back...I've got an angry inch!" over and over for days.

For a directorial debut with no big-name movie stars, the acting is right on the mark. These are theater people, after all, and there's none of the cringeworthy bad acting you see in a lot of independent films. John Cameron Mitchell gives the character Hedwig so much emotional depth, you forget that the premise is so silly.

The costumes are amazing, as you would expect from a movie with a drag queen as the main character. Hedwig wears no less than 41 outfits, one of which is a dress made entirely of hair.

I came away from this movie totally inspired. It positively electrified me with an energy I rarely feel from movies anymore. And I don't even like musicals!

Already the winner of numerous awards including the Audience and Director awards at Sundance, this is the film of an original stage musical comedy that played off Broadway for over two years. It centres on Hedwig, whose only way of escaping from East Berlin is to undergo a sex-change and assume his mother's identity. Unfortunately the operation goes wrong and he is left with an `angry inch'. Escaping to America, he forms a rock band whilst seeking the soul partner that will fulfil his destiny. Loaded with songs that you will be humming all the way out of the cinema, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is the funniest, most outrageously entertaining movie of its kind since Rocky Horror. Unlike Rocky Horror, it does have some more serious philosophical reflections built into it (mostly via the songs), but it rocks, kicks ass and injects some seriously funny pizzaz into the transgender scene. I had the advantage not only of seeing the UK stage version a few days after the film, but also hearing the director speak about his work at the UK premiere. As a first time film effort it's quite an accomplishment, but as Cameron also played Hedwig in the stage version he had a starter for ten. On the down-side, the film is probably better on second or third viewing, when all the pieces would fit into place, and towards the end there is a tendency to tell the story only in songs and so at the expense of any serious script writing. But still it's a must-see movie.

A true Rock Opera! Not for the small minded. Every song is amazing and wonderful - Origin of Love - is one of the best songs of our time. The illustrated mini-movies through out the movie truly enhance it. Beautiful and tragic. Unlike anything else, Rocky Horror pales in comparison. Amazing performances! I loved this movie! Hedwig is a truly beautiful and twisted character. This movie explains how someone gets to a very unusual point in their life. This movie shows that human beings have faults, emotion, love, anger and strife, no matter what their sex is, or how unusual they seem. The costumes are amazing and the sets rock. All around magic.

This movie is insane. That's why I liked it so much. The plot and visuals are as twisted as the inch that Hedwig is left with after her botched sex-change. In contrast, the lyrics of the many songs in the this movie are beautiful and poetic. I'm going to search out the sound track for this movie, as the songs were brilliant and inspiring.

This movie shows that everything has two sides that some how merge together to form the truth, The beautiful woman with the ugly, scarred genitals. The everlasting love soured by betrayal and shame. The cravings for success marred by the fear of power.

The unusual story, and the wonderful music make this movie alone worth watching. The amazing acting, outrageous costumes, and fabulous wigs make it a cult classic.

Another success for producer Christine Vachon, and a definite recommend from me!!!