Touches upon so many interesting and underexplored subject matter and a lot of it is done so satisfyingly well, but also parts could have been better. The drag persona and performances honestly could have been so much better especially that final one! That final one should have shown how drag and cinema have so much potential!!
Bilal Hasna did wonderful in his off-drag scenes and has lovely chemistry with the rest of the cast! I found him a bit stiff…
That scene where she makes him strip was the peak of this one.
Dennis Hopper plays some of the nastiest freaks in cinematic history.
...Unfortunately this is the type of film that would be terrifying at the hands of certain Western audiences and their children. Though I am a fan of the pretty visuals, the material itself feels outdated, and very comfortably leaves out the role of certain imperialists to the protagonist's country.
Maybe I am also irked at how much this was promoted as something women produced (Jolie) and directed (Nora Twomway), both of whom are white, while also leaving out the fact that not a lot of Afghans were involved, which one eventually suspects going through the film.
