Pretty Red Dress: LFF Film Review
Alexandra Burke, who rose to fame on The X Factor almost 14 years ago, makes her movie debut with Dionne Edwards‘ Pretty Red Dress and proves that she’s just as capable of acting onscreen as she is on stage.
In this drama, set in South London, she plays Candice, whose partner Travis (Natey Jones) has just returned home from prison. One day, Travis buys her a showstopping red dress to wear to her audition to play Tina Turner in a stage musical – but it turns out the dress isn’t just a present for her. While Candice is at work and their daughter Kenisha (Temilola Olatunbosun) is at school, Travis likes to wear the dress and Candice’s make-up and wig. When his secret becomes public, Travis is forced to re-examine how he wants to be perceived by the world, while his loved ones have to process this information in their own way.
I liked how the titular outfit – the pretty red dress – signified something different to each member of the family. For Candice, it’s a way to show she’s got what it takes to be Tina; for tomboy Kenisha, it represents a level of feminity she will never embrace, and for Travis, it’s a way to truly express himself and be free, although he is forced to reconcile his cross-dressing with being a straight Black man. Travis’ behaviour is treated with sensitivity and never for laughs but it did feel a bit flimsy – I wish it had been explored with more depth.
Sometimes when singers cross over into acting or switch from stage to screen, their performances can be big and over-the-top. I thought this might be the case with Burke but I was completely wrong. She is a revelation in the movie. Her acting is grounded and realistic and nowhere near too much. Obviously, she is terrific in the audition sequences and I knew she’d nail renditions of Proud Mary and River Deep, Mountain High – but she is outstanding outside of those as well. Although the focus is on Travis, Candice is easily the star of this film.
Jones and Olatunbosun, who also made their movie debuts with this film, are just as realistic and I was totally convinced by their family dynamic. They have plenty of other drama going on outside of Travis’ secret too – Kenisha is at risk of being expelled from school, she is not getting on well with her mum and Travis’ brother Clive (Rolan Bell) is being a smug little jerk yet again.
Pretty Red Dress is a poignant and funny family drama with a revelatory performance by Burke.
Seen as part of the London Film Festival. In cinemas from Friday 16th June