Coming out of the same studio that gave us RuPaul's Drag Race, and stacked with a whole crew of former contestants, Stop! That! Train! plays like RuPaul basically taking a bow for the entire franchise she's built. It's not really a gay film in the traditional sense, but with so many drag stars from Ru's shows popping up alongside a few cameos from well known out gay actors, I figured it earns a spot on this blog anyway. The whole thing is completely over the top, packed with GenZ slang, loud flashy visuals, and humor that's constantly winking at you knowing how ridiculous it is. Going in you'd assume it's meant to be a laugh riot, and a lot of critics online seem to be eating it up, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I've never really been someone who vibes with campy silly stuff like this, so honestly my reaction doesn't surprise me one bit. The setup follows Tess and DeeDee, two low level stewardesses who sneak onto the fancy Glamazonian E...
When the film started I wasn't sure what its going to turn out to be but slowly the film got my attention. Although the pace of the film is slow but its very important to show and reflect that a the pace of life of the people involved in the story. It also would be wrong to actually label this film a a gay film but I am sure there are people who would argue that because of some of the feministic characters depicted by our main character. Duncan, a teenage young lad is left mourning after his mother's sudden death with his distant father Edgar. Unable to wholly cope with the loss of his mother, Duncan holds closely to her remnants - a chicken as a pet who his mother taught him could be calmed by putting the chicken's head in Duncan's mouth, an old fake fur coat he wears to bed, and some kitchen skills he learned at her side. Edgar is resentful that Duncan isn't more helpful on their small farm and is shaken by observing Duncan's means of mourning his mother. Duncan who is hungry for compassion encounters a neighboring kid Perry who is beaten by his father regularly. The two bond, slowly, out of mutual needs. Perry defends Duncan's ridiculing by the local rowdy kids and even encourages Duncan to join the drinking bouts with the group. Yet Duncan remains an outsider, longing to be included. Duncan is very attracted to Perry (physically and emotionally). One such evening when they are drunk, Perry ends up having physical relation with Duncan after he forces him to wear his dead mother's dress only to be later partially discovered by his father, who then forces Duncan to help him with all the 'manly' jobs. Despite Perry's refusal and saying he is not queer, Duncan manages to get a kiss form him but cannot still control getting bullied by local rowdies. As a final confrontation, DUncan ends up killing his most prized possession, his chicken. the movie ends in one of the most life affirming moments ever captured on film, when his father finally understands Duncan's agony and pain and hugs him tight.
The film has some of the most brilliant acting by all 3 lead characters. The movie slowly draws you in it. You can feel Duncan's pain when he has lost his only companion his mother (since they literally live in middle of nowhere) and how he yearns for emotional attachment with Perry and companionship and acceptance of other young guys and girls in the town. The movie is a slow poetry if I may say so. Definitely it deserves to be seen because it is so uncliched.
Brilliant performances and a wonderful script. (6.5/10)
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