Tucked

I am so pleased I Googled Derren Nesbitt and discovered this smashing film. How well I remember him from the 60s onwards, with those piercing blue eyes and ability to chill the soul!

He is simply excellent in this film & makes a very touching partner to Jordan Stephens, who balances the act very well.

I wish it had received a wider release - it deserves to have done.

Then the second half becomes a sentimental mess with Jackie finding a path back to his estranged daughter. This is where the story becomes predictable.

Otherwise the relationship between the characters 'Jackie' & 'Faith' keep the plot going at an entertaining pace. There are no 'heavy social issues' tossed upon you - the viewer.

It's just a story of an elderly man dealing with his career & health and its effect upon family and new found friend.

There is a good idea behind the film and generally the lead 2 were likeable however it did have the feel of a TV movie in my opinion and the rest of the cast didn't seem to be on the same level. There were moments I was really buying into it but others where it was misfiring. With a few changes from the writers and an increased running time could certainly have been better then ending especially seemed rushed which is suprising given its short lengths and the powerful scenes that could potentially have been had at the weeding leading up to it and following. Still not a bad film but not enough to stand out for me.

This proved to be quite an engaging look at an ageing drag artiste (Derren Nesbitt) and a young, aspiring one (Jordan Stephens) - how they become friends and deal with terminal illness and reconciliation. It is clearly done on a budget and the drag stage scenes seem to rehash jokes that were popular while Noah was building his Ark. Both leads are good, though, and it is not overbearingly sentimental. Not a complaint I usually make, but this is a little too short. The ending is upon us without us really having had too much opportunity to develop the characters more. Worth watching but don't expect too much.

Writer and director Jamie Patterson is the co-founder of Jump Start Productions and has both written and directed many British films. He brings to life the world of drag queens in this sparkling film released in 2017 in the UK, winning awards in the 2018 Los Angeles Outfest Film Festival.

The film opens in a LGBTQ+ nightclub with elderly Jackie Collins (Derren Nesbitt) lip-syncing a song then delivering some of the funniest audience-focused jokes of any stand up comedienne. Jackie is not gay: he has always had an affinity for dressing in women's clothes, was married to a woman who died of cancer, and has a estranged daughter Lily (April Pearson) whom he has not seen in years. Jackie encounters a young drag queen Faith (Jordan Stephens), sees that Faith is sleeping in his car, and invites him home. The pair's discussions about their gender - Faith is a male who prefers to be seen as female but is tenuous as to gender declaration - provide a very fine exploration about gender assignment and choice. Their friendship grows in importance. Jackie has been informed that he has only six weeks to live (terminal carcinoma) and decides to continue his life as a performing drag queen to fill his time, and while Faith advises him to contact his daughter about his diagnosis, Jackie declines. April, whose wedding is approaching, appears at one of Jackie's shows and the result provides a touching conclusion.

Derren Nesbitt is superb in this tough role, allowing us to appreciate his character's conflicts while performing some of the most hilarious stage jokes on film! Jordan Stephens, an established recording artist, offers a strong portrait as Faith. The two actors employ Jamie Patterson's story to offer a fine overview of how to be themselves in a lifestyle few understand. The film is both an excellent LGBTQ+ story and an excellent, entertaining and touching experience.