source: Everybody's Talking About Jamie

source: Everybody's Talking About Jamie

Love the musical at the theatre but this movie it's a big no! The cast was very very meh. Only one I liked was the mother.

This movie creates conflict for me by contradicting its main message. The message that it exposes that it is okay to do what you want with your life regardless of what others say as long as you are happy is contradicted at the moment that the protagonist is selfish and is not interested in the feelings of the people who love him and they support him, and that there are no consequences when he hurts their feelings and makes those people less, this is a bad message for the public to whom the film is directed. In the technical aspect the performances are decent, the lyrics do not go to the rhythm of the music, the voices of the interpreters feel very altered in terms of tones and tunings, the music is not attractive except for two musical numbers, they discard several characters and they do not give a good development to each one, things are solved very easily, many situations do not have an outcome and the ending is very positive. One thing to highlight is the coordination of the choreographies where many people participate. I do not feel that it innovates in the genre or has the essence of a musical, the message it gives is good but the development of the story is poor.

You can tell this was filmed in 2019. Jamie feels like a pre-pandemic LGBT movie musical, if ever there was one. The heart and charm of the stage musical is not apparent in this adaptation. It feels like an ode to narcissism and self-obsession, rather than a tribute to self-expression. Maybe this film would have had resonance fifteen years ago, but it feels so out of sync with the current zeitgeist. The more it tries to be inspiring, the more on-the-nose and garish it becomes, and the more I want to crawl back into my metaphorical closet... The main fault of this film is the direction. It lacks vision. It's trying to be a 2000s British feel-good movie one minute, then the next it's a parody of a Netflix teen drama. Either way, with the number of stereotypes it perpetuates, it feels like an LGBT story more concerned with pleasing its straight audience than its gay one. If it had rooted itself in a time and place - 2010 Sheffield - examined that culture, and honed in on the mother-son emotional centre, then it could have been something interesting. It's not a bad film, per se. It just doesn't know what note it's trying to hit... But, alas, the doe-eyed beauty of Sarah Lancashire's performance broke my heart and Work of Art will always be that bop... 6/10.

Any movie that makes me choke up multiple times, for multiple reasons, gets a 10 from me. I'm a sucker for musicals, maybe because my name is Annie & i was just the right age for just the right movie to have made me a fan forever, but i adore a good one & This is a good one.

I have been a huge fan of the original staged musical and have watched it twice. I have also watched the documentary that inspired this musical, its lovely to see how close it works to the original story whilst also sewing in refreshing and special themes and character. I had a lot of anticipation for this movie and this admittedly built up a lot of anxiety - could they do the stage show justice? First hearing they removed some of the original songs from the musical, my favourites too, I was worried. But, watching the film, completely open minded I can truly say it has definitely done the musical justice. You can't go into this film expecting it to be an exact replica of the stage show. That's what the live stage filming in 2018 was for, this was broadcast in cinemas and hopefuly will be released on streaming / DVD / Blu Ray too (which was also amazing). It's understandable that things had to change for the movie, one difference I noticed was Jamie New himself, the character on screen felt slightly toned down compared to the character on stage. I feel this was due to Jamie's presence on stage needing to be more exaggerated, and such portrayal of Jamie by Jon McCrea (one of my favourites) captures so much cheek, confidence, and stage presence. Newcomer Max Harwood brings his unique and 'more close to the real life' Jamie on screen; Embodying the real life Jamie Campbell (FiFi la True) and he has done a superb job. Love how you see more confidence in Jamie progress throughout the movie, whilst also having it all along. Interesting to see the identity challenges too of when to bring Miss 'Me me me' out: at school, just at the club, how much of her is Jamie etc... When I say more realistic and less exaggerated, I don't mean this as a critique. In fact most stage shows / musicals, when adapted to the big screen face a significant challenge of how to best catch the fire behind the character without it coming across too animated. And this movie finds the perfect balance by blending the setting of Sheffield, school, and Jamie's home, with the fabulously choreographed performances that provide a burst of colour, flashbacks and escape. This balance works so well with lifting the music to the level it needs to be, whilst also capturing the simple yet impactful meaning behind its story. Great New touches make such a difference too with character development, something a movie adaptation really gives the opportunity to exercise. Such as a few seconds clip of Dean Paxton in his home with a drunken father lay in the background, and Drag mother Loco Channel offering a heartfelt visit to some of the most challenging times in the 80/ 90s through his song 'this was me' . A couple examples here of powerful and meaningful touches to the film. All the above offers fans the Jamie New they have learnt to love whilst giving them more & inviting newcomers to a joyous and welcoming musical with an uplifting message. Reason I gave 9 out of 10, to deserve the last star I do believe an extra burst of energy and emotion in some of the key characters could have helped further keep the pace and atmosphere. Nevertheless, superb! P. S. Keep your eyes out for some lovely Easter eggs, the original Jamie (in Drag) opening the door for Max Harwood into legs eleven & Jamie's mother as the shop keeper.

Everybody's Talking About Jamie is the new musical film of the year! With music to get you on your feet and comedy that will make your stomach hurt, Everybody's Talking About Jamie is one to watch. Based on true events, the story follows Jamie New (Max Hardwood) , a sixteen-year-old boy with the passion to become a drag queen, and he gets help from a former drag queen. With his best friend, Pritti Pasha (Lauren Petal), he attempts to prove wrong the people who doubt him, including school bully Dean Paxton and his own father. Although his father has chosen to cut him out his life, his loving mother is always there to help. Jamie New is a huge character. He has an answer for everything and always has some glitter to spare. As he attempts to become a drag queen he is more confident than ever. Hugo/Miss Loco Channel (Richard E. Grant) is a former drag queen who attempts to help Jamie as he sees him as the next generation and the future of drag. Pritti Pasha is definitely the brains of the duo. She is a high achiever and would never break the rules. The rest of the cast are incredible and every single character stands out. The music in this film is from the original stage musical. My favourite song is the opening song, "And you don't even know it." It serves as an introduction to some of the characters and is an upbeat dance number that will have you dancing and singing along just like the rest of the soundtrack. My favourite part of the film is when Jamie realises that all he wants is to be a drag queen and becomes Hugo's trainee. As a result he starts saving for his very first drag queen dress - his mum already bought him the shoes. The message of the film is to be who you want to be. Don't let others pull you down from what you want to do, especially if it makes you happy. You should be aware that this film does contain very strong language. I give Everybody's Talking About Jamie 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. Everybody's Talking About Jamie steps out of the darkness and into the spotlight on September 17, 2021 on Amazon Prime. By Katie F., KIDS FIRST!

Really not a lot that's new here. The musical bits inserted feel very 1950s retro where people would suddenly burst into song no matter where they were. Was a bit silly and distracting. Sweet, everyone come together and be happy ending. The film is nothing special and is a bit too sweet and cloying at times!

Since seeing this musical which originally debuted at the Sheffield Crucible quite a while ago now it is amazing to then see it go to the West End, Broadway and now a movie!! Amazing songs, great casting, wonderfully uplifting and equally and surprisingly emotional! A celebration of both musicals & movies and most of all 'being yourself' in a world that currently needs all the colour, sparkle & joy at this dark and crazy time! Absolutely stunning!