"You're just a boy in a dress..."

It is a time honoured fashion in Hollywood for famous male leads to take parts in which they dress in drag. In the past is has been alternately touching, funny, conversational and just plain fun. So when I found out that Ryan Reynolds is being tapped to don women's clothing in order to "win back his ex-girlfriend by befriending her" it got me thinking (and not just about how bad I think this film will be).

There have been many quality films working with this as their premise. I have put together a must-see list of gender bending film forays that I think everyone will enjoy. Each has a different aim or message but ultimately they all take a moment to make us examine ourselves (as any good film should).

So enjoy!


To Wong-Foo Thanks for everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
After Vida Boheme and Noxeema Jackson win a major New York drag contest and a trip to Hollywood, they are persuaded to take the inexperienced drag princess Chi-Chi with them. They hire a beat-up old Cadillac and set off for Los Angeles, but their car breaks down in a small town in the middle of nowhere. With just their wits and an endless supply of garish costumes, they transform the town and everyone who lives there--until homophobic cop Sheriff Dollard catches up with them...

Tootsie (1982)
Michael Dorsey is desperate; he can't find a job. That is, until he gets a female role in a soap opera and becomes very famous. Of course, nobody knows that this new television star is a man... But, after a while, he falls in love with the leading actress of the series, and here is the big problem: how can he express his feelings, since she thinks that Michael is a woman?

Some Like it Hot (1959)
Two struggling musicians (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon) witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre and try to find a way out of the city before they are found and killed by the mob. The only job that will pay their way is an all girl band so the two dress up as women. In addition to hiding, each has his own problems; One falls for another band member but can't tell her his gender, and the other has a rich suitor who will not take "No," for an answer.

...That's all for now but feel free to post your own suggestions!

Bromance in Review: Wolverine

My housemate was fortunate enough to catch the film a few days before me and reported back with these inspiring words, "It was okay...I was a little disappointed with Gambit." Now what this managed to do (other than crush any hope I had at the prospect of a live action version of one of the cooler mutants in the marvel catalogue) was damper my expectations enough that I was pleasantly surprised by the latest offering in the franchise.

Others may disagree, but what I have found with the X-men films is that they have never shied away from showing the flaws in order to build the character of each film's cast. The result-- or so I believe-- is that the audience becomes much more involved in the fight scenes. X-Men Origins: Wolverine is no different, taking the time to carefully develop the tenuous relationship between James and Victor (Jackman and Schreiber) so that when they do clash later in the film it is with much more force and understanding.

I know, I know, it's an action flick. Who wants character development? Well, clearly most action fans don't so the film cleverly hides a lot of its development in random snippets of dialogue during fight scenes or in a well developed opening title sequence (à la Watchmen opening sequence).

All in all a solid romp in action-land. But I would caution against seeing the film in a digital projection theatre. I was able to visit the new all digital theatre at Yonge and Dundas for this film and while the clarity is incredible, the special effects do not stack up in the higher quality. Nobody wants to see Wolverine's claws shifting back and forth across his knuckles...

See it on film instead and enjoy the well choreographed fight scenes without all the distraction of bad effects.

Bottom line: An action-adventure bromance with teeth that far surpasses the last X-Men (even if Gambit was an even bigger disappointment than my housemate let on).