by Eurocheese
It’s almost fitting that Todd Stephens’ Swan Song will have to fight for its title with a higher prestige film of the same name (Benjamin Cleary’s film starring Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris and Glenn Close) this season. The film’s main character, Mr. Pat (Udo Kier), has been pushed out of his former life as his town's most respected hairdresser, and now earns respect in his nursing home only by demanding it. The film starts in a fairly grim reality, but he finds solace in his hidden More 120 Slim cigars and teasing the hair of his fellow patients from time to time. He is somewhat resigned to this existence.
All of this changes when he is offered a large sum of money to fix the hair of a former client for her funeral (Dynasty's Linda Evans making her first film appearance in 24 years). Initially he defiantly rejects the offer, siting the fact that she fired him years ago...
The film does a wonderful job of teasing out this old relationship, along with a number of Mr. Pat’s other previous connections, and only gives the audience small glimpses into his past life. After sleeping on his decision, he changes his mind and makes his journey across town to settle the score with his past. This turns into a surprisingly hilarious, touching, adventurous quest built on his ability to deliver his flamboyant, witty responses to the modern world at every turn.
One of the reasons I fell so hard for this film was the way it shows Mr. Pat taking on a world that has moved on without him despite all the challenges he faced head-on in his life. He has survived the AIDS crisis, professional sabotage, and homophobia without backing down. He is not about to let the passage of time, judgment from others or any other obstacle stand in his way. Whether he experiences kindness from strangers along the way or animosity, it doesn’t phase him. There’s a sense of self-respect and pride that’s impossible to resist, and Kier perfectly controls every intimation. Mr. Pat will make you laugh, but he will never be your punchline.
A standout among characters he runs into along the way is Jennifer Coolidge, who is playing against type as his past business rival. She manages to bring a believable backstory to her character that gives her more depth than expected. Every character we meet as the story progresses gives us a better picture of our leading man, telling us more about the life he has lived. I don’t want to spoil any interactions, but I consistently found the writing in each scene to be heartfelt and realistic at the same time, while never losing its sense of humor. This could easily have been a difficult film, but instead, it celebrates this man’s life. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a film about an aging LGBTQ character that was so generous towards their past, while still making smart observations on how they would interact with the world today.
Life-affirming films are hard to come by these days, and this movie was just what my spirit needed. It’s available to rent from various services and I highly recommend seeking it out. It’s going to take one hell of a performance to knock Udo Kier out of my top slot for Best Actor in 2021.