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Kinky boots - Joel Edgerton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Linda Bassett, Roland Suso Richter

Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

These boots are made for dancing, darling.

From the producers of Calendar girls comes another poignant comedy, featuring two of the most talented and critically acclaimed stars of today: Joel Edgerton and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

With the sudden death of his father, it falls to Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton) to take up the reigns of the family's traditional, Northampton shoe business - Price and Sons, a far cry from the city life craved by fiancée Nicola (Jemima Rooper). But unbeknown to the loyal staff, the factory is on the verge of bankruptcy. Charlie looks to London for solutions, and in a chance encounter, discovers sassy cabaret star, Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who's Soho world of outrageous fashion and stylish, erotic boots for men, opens his eyes to an alien new niche market, a long way from men's classic brogues.

With trepidation, but spurred on by feisty factory worker Lauren (Sarah Jane Potts), Charlie enlists Lola's help to diversify and make erotic women's boots for a male market. But Lola's arrival at the provincial factory is greeted with ridicule and animosity, not least by Nicola. The hapless but lovable Charlie ploughs ahead with Lola, who hiding her own insecurities, takes charge of design and employs some of her show-stopping bravado to help win over the fractured workforce and bring the boots to life.

With only weeks to prepare a spectacularly unusual new line of Price's footwear in time for the crucial Milan Shoe Fair, tensions still run high. But it is now Charlie's drive for perfection and success which threatens the production line and Milan. Finally the pressure gets to Charlie and he turns on Lola, loosing his biggest asset and ally on the eve of the Milan Shoe Fair.

Theatrical propaganda posters

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film true English comedy UK drag queen shoe boot factory Milan fair diversify erotic leather

Persons of interest

Linda Bassett .... Mel
Kellie Bright .... Jeannie
Mona Hammond .... Pat
Josh Cole .... Tramp
Joel Edgerton .... Charlie Price
Chiwetel Ejiofor .... Lola
Nick Frost .... Don
Ewan Hooper .... George
Geoffrey Streatfeild .... Richard Bailey
Stephen Marcus .... Big Mike
Sarah-Jane Potts .... Lauren
Robert Pugh .... Harold Price
Jemima Rooper .... Nicola
Joanna Scanlon .... Trish
Geoff Deane .... Screenwriter
Tim Firth .... Screenwriter
Julian Jarrold .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Kinky boots official movie site
Kinky boots film production notes
Kinky boots QuickTime movie trailers

Awards and film festivals:

Australian International Movie Convention (AIMC) 2005: Screening
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2005: Official selection
Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes) 2006: Nominated: Best Actor In A Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical (Chiwetel Ejiofor)
Queerscreen Film Festival 2005: Screening
Sundance Film Festival 2006: Opening night
US Comedy Arts Festival 2006: In competition

See also Calendar girls, The full monty
Studios and distributors:

Touchstone Entertainment * Buena Vista International

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Kinky boots is a slightly titillating, very British film about Little Pommie Battlers™ doing it tough in the north of England and finding quirky ways to win the battle. If you want something slightly more titillating then you need to see Mrs Henderson Presents. If you want something slightly less titillating then you need to see Keeping mum.

Joel Edgerton does a very good Midlander: dull, dry, dowdy. Chiwetel Ejiofor does a very good drag queen: dynamic, distraught, dramatic. Together they are chalk and cheese which is a damned good thing because Kinky boots would be a seriously depressing film without them.