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Summary: "I put on my make-up..."
Review: "Hedwig and The Angry Itch" comes at a critical time when popular arts, specifically acting/theatre and rock music, have sunk to an all-time low.
Who knew that a movie/play/satire about a East German tranvestite rock and roller would be such an inspiring movie? I sure as hell didn't when I first viewed this during the summer. I walked out of the theatre with a lot of hope for the future.
Face it, actors/actresses don't know how to act anymore without exhibiting some degree of self-consciousness. John Cameron Mitchell, who also conceived the original play and did a terrific job of directing, gets 100 into the role of Hedwig, a character that is flamboyant, absurd, funny, heartbreaking and a terrific communicator. And the man is the first genuine rock and roll heart I have connected with in too long a time. Even though it's a ficticious character, he blows away a good percentage of today's, ahem, "rock".
The lovely Miriam Shor is terrific playing a man (in this case, Yitzak, Hedwig's love interest) and shows an amazing energy, dramtic flair and punk rock spirit. A ballsy performance and an excellent example of losing yourself in the role and making it effective.
And the music? You like Punk, Gothic, Glam, Rockabilly, Heavy Metal, Psychedelia and good ol' knees up singalong? Look no further. This is some of the very best TRUE ROCK MUSIC (and Show music) that I have heard in ages. Catchy, nervy and rocks like hell.
The film is a remarkable acheivement. What could have turned into a routine filmed performance or even a performance piece, is actually a fine story with great editing, energy and plenty of color. It could have been a garish display, but Mitchell has done the impossible by keeping the camp and making a truly focused work. Let's see more form him.
The DVD comes with a remarkable 80+ miniute documentary about the history of "Hedwig" and interviews with all involved. This is truly indispensible stuff and highly entertaining.
Multi-media pieces usually don't work in the cinematic realm. John Cameron Mitchell has succeeded in this impossible accomplishment and also created what is a long overdue creation in cult cinema.
And that is? The first TRUE rival to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Give Rocky credit for starting the genre, but give John Cameron Mitchell plenty for taking it further and producing a labor of love on every level.
I will never tire of "Hedwig". It is most welcome in this current era of pop atrocity (Robbie Robertson croaking Supertramp? Yeah, right...).
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Summary: THE WORLD NEEDS TO GET HED
Review: "Hedwig and The Angry Inch" is without doubt one of the best films ever made. Imaginative, intelligent, thoughtful, extremely witty, very moving, and BIG FUN, "Hedwig" is everything a film should be -- and it should be required viewing for all Earthlings! Don't overlook this film -- it has the power to transform lives! So long as John Cameron Mitchell and Steven Trask are in it, there is hope for the world!
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Summary: Easily the second-best film of 2001...
Review: "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" bursts onto the screen with a ferocity and rock-and-roll energy not seen since the great rock operas of the 1970s. Not only can it claim to have taken "Rocky Horror"'s crown as the best cult musical of all time, but it's also one of the best musicals ever put on film. It is second only to another movie musical that was released this year, "Moulin Rouge." What do these two films have in common? They are both rock operas about people trying to find love. And that is where the similarity ends. How fitting that in the year 2001, the movie musical genre, which many have considered dead for the past 20 years, can be revitalized and reenergized and deconstructed by these two brilliant productions."Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is, ostensibly, the story of a gay man, growing up in East Berlin in the days before the Wall fell, who reluctantly agrees to have a sex change operation, so that he can marry an American G.I., and leave for America. Unfortunately, the operation is done incorrectly, leaving Hansel, now Hedwig, with a one-inch mound of flesh where his male member once was. As if that was not enough bad luck for her, her new husband, soon after bringing her to America, leaves her for another man. Hedwig is left high and dry, the very week that the Berlin Wall is torn down. "Good things come to those who wait," says the television announcer. This inspires Hedwig to go on a journey of self-discovery; to discover her other half, her soulmate--but is it a man or a woman? And where does she fit in, in the grand scheme of things? Is she meant to be a male, as she was born, or a female, as she became? That is when we, the audience, realize that this is not merely a simple story of a down-on-her-luck drag queen trying to make it in the Big World. This is a film about the search for the Platonic ideal, blending the mythic and mundane into a fascinating exploration of what it means to be complete. Is Hedwig's mother right in saying, "To be free, one must give up a little part of oneself"? Or is Hedwig's lover, Tommy Gnosis, when he tells her that "there's no mystical design/no cosmic lover preassigned"? The film uses the Berlin Wall as a symbol of the division between two soulmates. Hedwig believes that no one is complete until he or she has found his soulmate. Once they are reunited, one has finally found oneself. Like Berlin finally reunited, Hedwig longs for that herself. "Hedwig" plays like a cross between a documentary-style film a la "This is Spinal Tap," an MGM movie musical, an episode of "Behind the Music" (including tabloid covers and a clip of Hedwig on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show"), and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." But it is so much more than that, based mostly on (1) its use of complex symbolism and mythical allusions and (2) the brilliant, heartfelt, funny, and sad performance of John Cameron Mitchell, who wrote, directed, and starred in both the original off-Broadway production of "Hedwig" and this film. The man is a creative genius and should receive a Best Actor Oscar nomination. And what of the music? Simply brilliant, as well. "Hedwig" boasts, bar none, one of the best rock opera score of all time, except for, perhaps, "Rent." The music is raw energy incarnate. The melodies are amazingly tuneful, and range from hardcore punk to rock n' roll, to folksy, to soft, but never overly sappy, ballads. The lyrics are a revelation: more mature, nuanced, and finely tuned than any songs you are likely to hear in any other Broadway or rock venue. And, yes, contain a great deal of mythical, literary, and even biblical allusions. The musical numbers are staged brilliantly, particularly "Wig in a Box," my favorite song in the film. A grungy trailer opens up and transforms itself into a beautiful, shiny, brightly colored stage for a great rock number. It's flights of fancy like this that make "Hedwig" so much fun. The film also contains amazing work from its supporting cast, including Miriam Shor, playing Hedwig's husband, and Andrea Martin, playing Hedwig's publicist. If you are looking for a rock musical that really rocks, but also has a very complex, multilayered, thought-provoking story under its shiny, glitzy veneer, look no further than "Hedwig." And you might want to consider buying the soundtrack, as well. The songs are impossible to get out of your head, but in a good way. And I didn't even get to mention how hilariously funny the film is, as well. You will laugh long and hard; you will find yourself singing along to the music; and yes, you'll also find yourself extremely touched.
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Summary: Hedwig Rocks!
Review: My favorite movie of 2001. Excellent story with great songs.
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Summary: DVD does Hedwig justice
Review: I got the DVD yesterday...have been waiting to do it since I saw the movie in the summer. I saw the stage production 4 times with 4 different actors here in NYC. I find the songs resonating in my mind frequently...I think it is genious. Anyway, I am really impressed with the DVD...the commentary is interesting and the deleted scenes with Andrea Martin are truly hilarious. The sound is vivid and the movie looks terrific. A great Christmas present, if you are looking for one.
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Summary: Being a regular guy
Review: I saw this movie not thinking I would like it because of its homoerotic content. But I have to say that even being a perfectly regular straight guy who is not into cross dressing movies, this is still a great movie. It is a funny movie. It is also a movie that deals with issues of what it means to be masculine and what it means to be different. Hedwig, seems to be at first glance to be a gay character, but it as the story reveals, it is not about being gay or straight it, it is about love and accepting who one is. Hedwig asks himself who is is perfect partner and what they would look like. The movie examines the issue of finding one's own person, not necessarily being gay or being straight. Hedwig at the end defines himself as a person and comes to grips with that realization. That is what the movie is about. Plus it benefits from really good music. A definite must see.
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Summary: Outstanding DVD for an oustanding movie
Review: "Hedwig" is easily one of the best movies of 2001...if not of the past several years. And this DVD treatment does this flick tremendous justice. Included are bonus features such as commentary by writer/director/star John Cameron Mitchell, deleted scenes, and cast and crew filmographies. But the best treat is a feature-length (80+ minutes) history of Hedwig...the character, the off-Broadway show and the movie. This documentary -- which is worth the purchase price itself -- even includes footage from John Cameron Mitchell's first appearance as Hedwig back in 1994. In short, this is a must-have for any Hed-Head!
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Summary: No anger, all pleasure
Review: Our angry Hedwig brought me to tears with her story, tears of joy as she tells the fairy tale of his/her life, leaving East Berlin for the United States to in the end only being at peace at last. The subject is very interesting, very original indeed. I was singing the songs after I left the theatre and bough the soundtrack two days after. The movie is worht watching more than once, you would miss two many things the first time. Check out the wigs, the costumes and listen to her jokes. Have fun, and let me knwo if you agree.
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Summary: GO SEE IT!
Review: This has been my favorite movie of the year thus far! I thought the premise of the film was ridiculous but once the film gets its hooks on you, you can't let go of it. I saw the last showing for the night and I was bitterly disappointed that the record stores were closed because it's one of those movies that you just have to get the soundtrack! Filled with drama, poignant comedy and witty dialogue, I came out of this movie with pure joy. This is the reason why I am a movie lover. After sitting through a lot of mediocre films this year, it is movies like Hedwig that give me affirmation. Unfortunately, I don't think this will receive the accolades that it deserves come awards season but it deserves to be up there with the best of them. Don't watch this movie unless you're willing to be infected with great joy, catchy songs, and great dialogues that you'll be quoting for a long time. I can't wait until the dvd comes out on Dec. 11!!
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Summary: Internationally Ignored Song Stylist No More!!!!
Review: This might just be the best movie I've ever seen (and I can't stop listening to the album). Hedwig's story is hilarious, tragic and emotionally moving. Although the plot might seem a bit strange when described, somehow I feel like I love and know Hedwig, and I root for her to find herself-her missing half. John Cameron Mitchell gives a WONDERFUL acting performance and Michael Pitt is deliciously vacant as Hedwig's rock star love Tommy Gnosis. I've seen the film twice so far and am not the least bit sick of it. I could watch it 1000 more times. I wish there could be a sequel. Do yourself a favor and watch his film. The lines alone that you will take away from it are worth the price.
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