VERNON — In a festival lineup of hard-hitting, immensely consequential “big picture” issues, writer/director Michael Curtis Johnson's first feature film “Hunky Dory” offers an invigorating change of pace: an intimately striking character study about a former glam-rocker turned drag performer.
While it might not be an epic blockbuster, this quietly subtle indie deserves your attention and consideration. The film's title and subject matter are clearly a nod to David Bowie, even if our protagonist utterly lacks the talent or notoriety achieved by the late musician.
At the center of the film is Sidney (played by Tomás Pais), a gender-bending nonconformist thrust into the role of a family man, a drag performer who is longing to escape from the doldrums of sleazy dive bars and work toward a respectable music career.
Saddled with a multitude of problems surrounding his lack of financial mobility, Sidney's mentally ill ex-wife unexpectedly drops off their 11-year-old son, Georgie (Edouard Holdener) and immediately vanishes during a particularly bad week.
Sidney is compelled to reconsider his place in the world as a father and as an individual. When his son arrives, the less virtuous aspects of his world come into view.
We follow Sidney interacting with a variety of friends attempting to get some cash (often in morally compromising ways) and figuring out how to create a somewhat-wholesome environment for his son when his immediate surroundings are precisely the opposite.
While Sidney is comfortable in his own skin, he has previously hidden his occupation from his son and is dreadfully worried that the young boy will discover the truth and think less of him - an idea that is evidently painful and embarrassing. Sidney seems to realize that teaching self-confidence might be one of the few gifts he can bestow upon his son, so he sets out to do just that.
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Although the cast is peppered with somewhat inconsistent performances from partially expendable ancillary characters (notable exceptions include a terminally ill fellow drag performer and a prostitute-turned-babysitter), the strength of the film revolves around the loving, tender relationship between Sidney and his adorably endearing son.
They are clearly dedicated to each other under circumstances that just might feel foreign and occasionally distressing to a mainstream audience.
In the context of that baked-in discomfort, most viewers will pleasantly find a level of ease settling into the narrative. The imperfections and budgetary limitations are forgiven because of the strength of the expressive, nuanced performances from Pais and Holdener.
Pais delivers a convincing performance as a damaged-but-confident artist, clinging to a youthful identity that no longer fits.
The film invites the audience to consider the utility of moral rigidity and bids adieu to conventional gender roles, family dynamics, and ethical standards.