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Reviewer: Jonathan W. Hickman
Director: Gracie Otto
Starring: Crew Boylan, Daniel Webb, Bobby Cannavale, Thomas Campbell and Rose Byrne
MPAA Rating: R
Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes
available in limited theatrical release
Fans of Dolly Parton may enjoy writer/star Krew Boylan and director Gracie Otto’s uneven drama about Parton’s fandom. This fun Australian import introduces a fascinating premise, but it’s hard to figure out what to do with it.
In “Seriously Red,” Aussie Red (Boylan) is a carefree woman who works a job she hates and lives in her mother’s converted garage. She adores all things Dolly Parton, and after dressing up as the iconic country singer for a work party, she’s approached by a company looking for a copycat.
The talent agency is led by Wilson (Bobby Cannavale), who rose to fame as a Neil Diamond impersonator. Wilson wanted to match Redd with his debut actor, Kenny (Daniel Webb). The popular performer is closely related to Kenny Rogers. Sporting his idol’s bushy beard and rave hairstyle, the glamorous youngster is a huge hit in Japan.
A tense romance develops as Red and Kenny hit the road. But who is Kenny? Does Kenny love Rhett or Dolly? Why didn’t he tell Red about his past?
The hook here is Dolly Parton. We get several of her famous tunes and loving tributes, including an on-screen text featuring the poignant Parton quote. But the film’s central theme is the search for one’s identity and the loss of one’s self, in this case, having to do with celebrity obsession.
Boylan’s script almost gets to the emotional core of the provocative teasing. One character is an Elvis impersonator known as “EP” (played by a disfigured Rose Byrne). Some illuminating confrontation between Red and EP exposes the film’s key thematic underpinnings, but fails to take full advantage of the damage that compulsion can do to impressionable minds. I was intrigued, but in the end, I found myself doing nothing more than happily entertaining.
Anyone who’s seen the recent Whitney Houston biopic, “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Someone,” can attest that despite all the fantastic parodies and bizarre lip-syncs, there’s no substitute for the real thing of. “Seriously Red” could have focused more dramatically on the loss of self by focusing on celebrities. Instead, the film ties its narrative to a potentially edgy ending, but ends up being too sweet for its own good.
When “Seriously Red” streams, I suggest readers consider combining this film with the even better 1994 film “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” for an Australian double feature film. My wife and I had an evening that started with “Red” and ended with “Priscilla”. Highly recommend watching Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and a young Guy Pearce put on a fantastic drag stage show.
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