Pretty Red Dress - film review
Pretty Red Dress marks a calling card for director Dionne Edwards, of which
this is her feature debut.
This film is a character study of the three members of a family and their
ever-changing dynamic, primarily due to that titular red dress. The three
characters are the couple Travis (Natey Jones) and Candice (Alexandra Burke)
with their teenage daughter Kenisha (Temilola Olatunbosun). There are common
themes between them all, sharing some form of anger but, far more importantly,
seeking to be different to who they are and playing more of a role in their
lives, and that's what the dress brings out. The intended purpose of the dress
is for Candice's audition in a musical where she plays Tina Turner, but the
conflict of the narrative is Travis's long-buried secret of cross-dressing.
It's that which causes a tear in the relationship, not due to transphobia but
more so the mistrust and the later lies it creates in the relationship. Kenisha
is used as a pawn in the lies and a catalyst for conflict to occur, but the
dress for her represents what people want her to conform to, with her fashion
style being anything but dresses. Director Edwards has crafted a film that
fascinates and explores identity with a message of acceptance while keeping its
focus on a consistently engaging family dynamic.
Of course, with Candice auditioning for Tina Turner, the effect of that is a
memorable soundtrack full of Tina Turner hits, but its score does really hold
its own. The cinematography from Adam Scarth is most effective in the musical
performances using a spinning camera to give those scenes real momentum but
still works for the rest of the film with some particularly great close-ups.
Natey Jones, as the lead, provides a sensitive and grounded performance, while
Alexandra Burke goes all out with a passionate, fiery performance that feels
realistic. I'm shocked I've never heard of these two before because they are
talented.
Don't be like the crowd at last year's London Film Festival, who laughed at all
the wrong parts out of disrespect from the premise. Give this a chance and the
respect it deserves, and hopefully, you'll find the same moving, engaging
family drama with a queer element that I found.
