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Movie Review: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Mike Tyrkus

The musical, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, portrays a fictionalized account of the life of Jamie Campbell (or, Jamie New as he is referred to in the film) as the young man decides to take on the established norms of society and life his life as he chooses. This entertaining and emotional resonant film is directed by Jonathan Butterell, who created the title’s original stage production as well, and stars a diverse group of actors that features a remarkable debut performance by Max Harwood as the film’s titular character.

Jamie New, as played by Harwood, is an amiable teenager living in Sheffield, England who often daydreams about a life upon the stage. As his peers plan their future careers, Jamie longs to reveal his aspiration to become a drag queen. Luckily, Jamie is ferociously supported by a devoted and loving mother (Sarah Lancashire) and a best friend, Pritti (Lauren Patel). Then while shopping for attire so that he can attend the prom in drag, Jamie wanders into a shop owned by Hugo Battersby (Richard E. Grant), who also happens to be a local drag queen legend named Miss Loco Chanelle. Hugo takes Jamie under his wing and mentors him in the art of drag as he prepares for his debut performance.

Like any hero though, Jamie is also plagued by his fair share of antagonists, most notably in the form of his unsupportive father (Ralph Ineson), who looks upon him as a failure given his predilections. Jamie’s career advisor, Miss Hedge (Sharon Horgan), also initially looks upon Jamie’s life choices with disapproval and disdain. Many of Jamie’s classmates look down upon him as well, adding to his sense of isolation and defeat that are expressed in the multiple song and dance numbers accenting that narrative. These however, are quickly turned aside as Jamie seems never to allow himself to get too down for too long before finding some way or another to turn things around.

Max Harwood in “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.” Photo by Courtesy of 20th Century Studios – © Courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

The musical numbers, which were brought over from the original stage production by the team of Dan Gillespie Sells, Tom MacRae, and Anne Dudley attempt to express the inner-feelings of the characters in more obtuse ways than most traditional musicals do but, overall, it works because the characters come across as so engaging and likable that even the most cynical audience member will find it hard not to crack a smile at least once (if not several more times) throughout the film’s running time.

The work of cinematographer Christopher Ross gives Sheffield an almost mythical quality that makes the transitions to the song and dance numbers much less jarring than they might come across as otherwise. Kudos too should be bestowed upon the editing work and production design of Mark Everson and Jane Levick respectively for working so well in tandem with Ross to make the setting of the film as important of a character as its lead.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is one of those rare films that, despite any shortcomings you may feel it has, still manages to put a smile on your face and ultimately leaves you with a full heart when its finished and that cannot be overlooked or forgotten.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com
An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

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