Swan Song is the greatest performance of Udo Kier's career, and Linda Evans as the corpse is fabulous

DL fave Jennifer Coolidge briefly appears in this and not as a comic relief.

He looks so much like Terence Stamp in "Priscilla" it's scary.

Good thing I watched it online for free. I'd had enough after 5 minutes. Irritatingly over the top.

This looks really good, I'm going to try to find it on streaming, thanks for posting OP.

Does Linda Evans have a speaking part, like in flashback scenes, or is she literally just a corpse in the movie?

WE already have this thread

Sounds great! I've been to Sandusky lol - it's also where Third Rock from the Sun is set.

It's not a subtle movie but it is very sweet, and Udo is a legend, an icon

Evans does get a scene where she's not playing a corpse

YES Linda Evans has a speaking part, and she is like the distressed Krystle Carrington worried she's having a bad hair day in her coffin!

Swan Song is not a true story. The character is loosely based on a hairdresser that writer, director, producer Stephens knew from his childhood who had a big impact on him, but the story is not true.

Linda Evans play a corpse? Could anyone tell the difference?

Udo Kier's performance is great, which didn't surprise me. Jennifer Coolidge flabbergasted me, in that I never imagined she could dial it down so much. (She truly has been typecast as Stilfer's mum.) Would've liked to've seen more of Michael Urie, as he's aged very well. Linda Evans was...well, Linda Evans. Overall, about a 7/10 for me. It was cute at times, but painful to watch Mr. Pat's journey.

Where can I watch this?

iTunes or Amazon Prime, R13.

It was a terribly sad movie, and a bit maudlin and written in a broad way. HOWEVER, Udo, who doesn't speak much, delivers a wonderful character and performance - it really does deserve serious award attention. Is anyone financing that award PR for him?

I wonder if Udo tried to get Madonna for the Linda Evans role.

Okay, this brings back memories of a "Tracey Takes On..." episode in which Ruby Romaine gets called in to do the casket makeup for a dead actress and Udo Kier plays the actress's "Sunset Boulevard" style chauffeur/lover. Sure it's just coincidence.

R15 Agree. So sad. So depressing. A movie without hope, without warmth.

Yes, Udo Kier was great in it, but overall, it was just a cold, stark experience and I'm not quite sure what the point of it all was, other than to make elder gays feel awful about themselves.

When I first glanced at this photo a few days ago (not on Datalounge), I thought that it was a picture of Richard Dreyfuss playing Truman Capote!

At a glimpse, I see it as Quentin Crisp, R19.

R18, I felt so differently! I thought Mr. Pat was getting the chance to remember what he loved about life & rediscover himself. He went for it & got more than he ever imagined, but had to reconcile himself to what had happened that allowed him to get trapped. Terrific performances throughout. I loved it.

It was the story of him struggling to forgive someone he cared about, and served, who really did him wrong, and then died before they ever buried the hatchet. Spoiler!

So he tries to more than once to go do the dead bitch's hair. He really really has to steel his nerves.

It't not that unkind to eldergays but it is a strong reminder that our world - that world - that ran for a few decades, is mostly lost. As is only natural. People are kind to him during his adventure so it's a pity he's been holed up in that nursing home for it seems like years.

It's an American movie, and American story, and Udo's UBER German character is never explained, but Uder does play it VERY true to a style of old German homos who I know. This makes it kind of an international statement about the death of that world.

It's not complex.

Udo does things with body movement, face, gesture, just his eyes. The movie gives him a LOT of space to breath and deliver a character who isn't don't anything much and isn't saying much either.

Also its a bit magic realism and its very "a day in the life" anecdotal. Udo is old but they make a point of him being a bit boyish, childish too, and some of the atmosphere reminded me bizarrely of The Red Balloon.

Has Helmut Berger seen it?

Wer ist dieser Udo Kier? Ich bin ein Star!

[quote] Yes, Udo Kier was great in it, but overall, it was just a cold, stark experience and I'm not quite sure what the point of it all was, other than to make elder gays feel awful about themselves.

R18, Mary!

The point of it was to appreciate knowing what you had as well as mourning its inevitable loss.

[quote] As is only natural. People are kind to him during his adventure so it's a pity he's been holed up in that nursing home for it seems like years.

Thanks for that insight R22. I think it is very easy for someone, in their mourning of loss, to grow bitter and cocoon themselves like Pat did.

I took the ending as a nod that for every “next generation” there will come a day when they too are shown the door (or wheeled out of it). And when that time comes, what will they have done to further, or positively affect, fellow gays (or humans, or whatever member of whichever subculture) that follow?

I never click on movie threads but I watched the trailer and I am sold. This is so quirky (like My Own Private Idaho)....Gotta be fun to watch.

{quote}I'm not quite sure what the point of it all was, other than to make elder gays feel awful about themselves.

And then where does that leave DL?

He hasn’t done any other great performances

Listen bitches, there’s only one 2021 movie named Swan Song that matters. And it ain’t the one linked at the OP.

Has she always spelled it "Naomie"?

It's free on Hulu now.

Sure, much of it is unrealistic (I'd say magic realism). but the emotions are true all the way.

The scene with Eunice broke my heart.

I wonder how the cigarette company that makes More 120s feels about it. It's the most exposure they've ever had, I'm sure, but it's not quite flattering.

I bet it's Linda Evans' best performance.

[quote]Evans does get a scene where she's not playing a corpse.

Hard to tell.

Did he take her shoes?

R28 I felt so differently. I thought it awesome that Mr. Pat got to rediscover life at his age. Sure as hell beats NOT rediscovering it and getting to reconcile yourself. If you have Hulu give it a shot.

Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. It just felt like it could have been so much better…so much more poignant if they had gone a slightly different direction. Too much “magic” where as a viewer you’re not sure if what you’re seeing is really happening. The drag show scene is beyond unbelievable, yet apparently that actually happens? The director could have let Udo be eccentric, but still made it more real. It could have been a fantastic, albeit soul crushing, movie.