From the makers of “Calendar Girls” comes an uplifting British comedy about two outcast dreamers who finally figure out how to stand up for themselves… in thigh-high leather stilettos. Inspired by a surprising true story, KINKY BOOTS stars Joel Edgerton (“Star Wars: Episode III”) as Charlie Price, the young Englishman who inherits his father’s failing shoe factory and, in a rousing comedic turn, Chiwetel Ejiofor (“Dirty Pretty Things”) as “Lola,” the feisty female impersonator who turns Charlie’s world, and the entire luckless factory, inside out and on its way to the catwalks of Milan. With a mix of brassy humor and heartwarming poignancy, KTNKY BOOTS explores what happens when people who have spent their entire lives trying to fit in suddenly decide to truly stand out.
Charlie Price thinks he has finally escaped the dead-end industrial town of Northampton with his ambitious fiancée Nicola (Jemima Rooper), when his father suddenly passes away, leaving Charlie unexpectedly in charge of the sinking family business in sturdy shoes. Trapped between a world of cheap knock-offs and to-die-for Jimmy Choos, Price & Sons seemingly doesn’t need a manager so much as it needs a savior. With mounting dread, Charlie soon realizes that to even stay afloat he’s going to have to lay off many of his dad’s loyal, life-long employees.
Then, one dark night in Soho, Charlie is literally smacked in the face with an idea that could bring the factory roaring back to life. When Charlie meets tough, tender Lola and her teetering high heels, everything changes. They might come from completely different walks of life, but both men have reached a point where they have nothing left to lose by taking a risk. Deciding to buck tradition and boring loafers, Charlie sets out to conquer the brave new world of sexy crossdressing footwear, with Lola as his fashion advisor. But it isn’t just the assembly line that the disarming Iola transforms. As the make-or-break Milan fashion show approaches, everyone in the factory – from the macho Don (Nick Frost “Sean of the Dead”) to the stalwart Mel (Linda Bassett) to Charlie’s “sole” confidante Lauren (Sarah Jane Potts) – finds the unlikely dreams of Lola and Charlie catching fire.
KINKY BOOTS features the feature film directorial debut of Emmynominated Julian Jarrold (“Great Expectations”) from a script by Tim Firth (“Calendar Girls”) and Geoff Deane. The producers are Nicholas Barton and Susan Mackie (“Calendar Girls”) and Peter Ettedgui, and the co-producer is Mairi Bett (“The Libertine”).
Photos: Laurie Sparham and Miramax films
