A Movie that is “Worth the Walk”

Hollywood has really latched onto the shoe motif as a backdrop for heartwarming comedies. First there was In Her Shoes, a touching movie about sisterhood. And now there is Kinky Boots – a movie about shoes, but with a twist…

Kinky Boots is about a struggling men’s shoe factory in Northampton, UK that turns itself around when the reluctant heir-cum-owner decides to venture into the niche market of women’s shoes for men—kinky boots for Drag Queens. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Lola, and as any proper Drag Queen would do, completely steals the show with his range and penetrating treatment of a conflicted, yet at the same time extraordinarily self-assured, human being (as Lola says in her act, “For ladies, gentleman, and those of you who are yet to make up your minds.”).

The movie balances lighthearted humor with some powerful social and personal themes, all amidst the stark backdrop of a shoe factory and the kitschy glitz of performing drag queens.

The movie’s themes highlight a principle that inspired me at the Heatherette and Jeremy Scott shows at Fashion Week: fashion is a form of self expression for all people, and can facilitate self-definition for those who wish to outwardly express that which composes their innermost selves. Fashion does not have to be about conformity—at its best it is about experimentation and unapologetic proclamation of who you are.

My thoughts exactly.

My favorite lines:

“It’s a simple equation. A drag queen puts on a frock, looks like Kylie. A transvestite puts on a frock, looks like…Boris Yeltsin in lipstick.”

“Sex is in the heel. Stilettos require constant balance from the upper leg causing the muscles of the backside to tense and appear pert and ready for mating.”

Posted by Ali @ 7:00 am

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