Hedwig and the Angry Itch Review
by Jen Manna
When you go to see a flick at the Lagoon, you're usually shooting for alternative. This is definitely alternative, in plot at least.
Hedwig is an East German born transvestite who marries a US Soldier to escape to America. Somewhere after, Hedwig meets a young simple teenage boy who is transformed into a Goth rock god, falls in love, has his music plagiarized and ends up touring a chain of restaurants that at best seem a cross between Red Lobster and Old Country Buffet.
I admit I walked in with assumptions. I assumed this movie was going to do the typical 'in-your-face-herto-mundane' posturing that was supposed to make me feel bad for being boring. I assumed some of it would go over my head, having never been a transvestite gay male. In all, I didn't think I would identify with the characters so much as watch how the other side lives.
I was wrong.
Hedwig (John Cameron Mitchell) is charming. I identified Hedwig as a character, a defined personality, not some guy in a dress. Mitchell could have allowed the movie to sink into self-loathing and cries for pity. Instead the dialog and situations are spiced with humor that only make the moments more meaningful. While the events are beyond the ordinary, the emotions are very human and understandable. Little touches accent Hedwig's self-deprecating humor, such as the fans with 'Hedwig Hair' headpieces at the shows.
Phyllis Stein plays Andrea Martin, Hedwig's agent. It's a notable role that Stein manages to add that same gentle humor that occurs when someone pokes fun at people being human. She acts just a bit off center, as agent should be, but honestly cares for Hedwig and the band members.
Hedwig's life is played back to the audience in a series of flashbacks, linked with narratives by Hedwig and musical numbers. Each musical number is played out like an eighties Mtv worthy video without seeming to jar the flow of the story. And the music is good. It has that 'I have to go get the soundtrack as soon as I leave the theater' quality to it.
There are some flaws. Important characters, such as Hedwig's current husband(?) (Miriam Shor) is poorly developed considering the time and attention the role is given. I had a hard time understanding Hedwig's attraction to Tommy Gnosis (Michael Pitt) other then he was young and male. Some of the events are a touch too surreal, but they work with the story so those transgressions are forgivable.
I give it 4 beakers for being the first movie I've seen in a while where I didn't feel my 7 bucks was wasted.
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