Day 153 - The Birdcage

Day 153          The Birdcage [1996]

                          

Screenplay                    Elaine May

Director                         Mike Nichols

Cinematography            Emmanuel Lubezki

Music                            Stephen Sondheim

Leads                            Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, Christine Baranski

Production                      Nichols Film Company

IMDb                                 7/10

Rotten Tomatoes                79%

My mum said I should watch this one as apparently, it’s one of my dad’s favourites. I also have long been referred to as Agador whenever I don my gym kit. After watching this film, I think it’s a rather unfair comparison and I hope I don’t resemble the flamboyant Guatemalan houseboy, even if he was my favourite character. This film is the All-American remake of the famous French film La Cage aux Folles – a film that was inspired by a play of the same name and which then inspired two sequels, a musical and this remake. Often Hollywood can ruin world cinema but Robin Williams and co. did a good job here. It follows gay nightclub owner Armando (Williams) whose partner is the star of the club, the emotional Albert/’Starina’ (Lane). A farcical comedy ensues as their son Val (Futterman) comes home to tell them he is getting married and that the girl’s father happens to be a Republican senator (Hackman) who is the founding member of the Coalition for Moral Order. Hank Azaria plays houseboy Agador who gives us the most laugh out loud moments of the film. It was a breakthrough for the man of many voices/Phoebe’s nerdy boyfriend in Friends. Robin Williams in what you’d think would be a chance to unleash himself is instead incredibly reserved, with a mature performance that shows his class. Nathan Lane is so over-the-top you’d think he is in a pantomime. I don’t think he is bad, it just required a bit of restraint, which is harder to pull off in such a role. It’s an incredibly fun film with some genuinely amusing moments and I’ll now have to watch the original for what I’ve heard is a masterclass in drag acting from Michel Serrault.

Acting                           3.5 / 4

Writing                          3.5 / 4

Cinematography               3 / 4

Music                            3.5 / 4

HWF rating                  3 / 4