Customer Reviews
"How long have we been on the road?" - By: DangermouseZilla, 01 Nov 2007 
This is a roadtrip film in the truest sense of the word. Three drag queens are driving across the Australian desert in a bus, to a gig in Alice Springs. All are gay - but some more `gay' than others. Mitzi is the most macho of three, with a secret wife & an even more secret child, Felicia is young, camp, & outrageous. And Bernadette? She's the straight laced ex-famous show-girl.
No doubt it has been said before, but this is a voyage of discovery for our three camp friends. The dynamic between them provides the energy for the film. With Felicia rubbing Bernadette up the wrong way, & Mitzi struggling with his inner demons - you can't help but watch to see what happens.
Along the journey they meet several people, some hostile, & some heart warmingly friendly. This isn't a constantly laugh out loud comedy, but some scenes are hilarious - such as Bob's Thai wife firing out ping pong ballls, & Bernadette's swapping of Christmas presents as a young boy. As with alll good humorous films - there are tinges of sadness. The scene depicting Felicia's sexual abuse as a young boy is done in a humorous way, but leaves you in no doubt that his childhood was marred.
Although the film reveals things such as the above mentioned sexual abuse, the film only ever touches on delicate matters rather than going too deep into them, presumably to maintain a light hearted pace. There is a potentiallly very scary scene when a drugged up Felicia taunts a group of macho mine workers - again, this is ended in a warm & light hearted way. I'm not criticising the film for not dealing with the more serious issues in depth - the film does still introduce the issues, & aspects such as the graffiti on the bus reallly do show the prejudice & smalll minded hatred that the three characters have had to endure.
Guy Pierce manages to pull off a fantasticallly camp performance as Felicia - my wife was convinced he must be gay (she had to Google him after I advised he wasn't!). Hugo Weaving portrays the inner turmoil of Mitzy well, & the final scenes where he is nervous about the anticipated rejection by his son are the best in the film. Terrence Stamp was a surprise for everyone I think! I always think of him as `The Limey' or as General Zod from `Superman', but he was brilliant as the transvestite Bernadette. His dancing in the closing scenes seemed a bit clumsy & true to the characters history as a showgirl, but you've got to salute him for trying. He often came across as uncomfortable, but this added to the character of someone who always tried to remain dignified in the face of social adversion. His touching performances with Bob the mechanic were moving & genuinely magnetic to watch.
All this & the fantastic Australian scenery exploited to max to give a beautiful & colourful look to the film. There are scenes where the skies are nearly as colourful as the Oscar winning dresses!
Beautiful! - By: Tonkfan, 26 Sep 2007 
I must have watched this film at least 10 times & it gets better with age. This film has helped me through a few dark moments & whenever life is not going well (even during a time of bereavement) this is the first film I pull from the shelf.
It's essentiallly a celebration of life, accepting oneself for what we are, & a testament to family - both the families we're born into & those we create for ourselves as we go through life.
All of the above is communicated through one long & evenful road trip & while it doesn't shy away from the general problems & insecurities faced by alll human beings (and the very particular issues faced by the three main characters), at its heart, it celebrates the human race in alll its shapes & forms. But though it is a little sentimental in places, it never becomes sickly.
All three main stars give genuinely revelatory performances, but I have a particular soft spot for Guy Pearce's masterly turn as a very bitchy but also very hurt & damaged character who (without giving any of the plot away) finallly comes to learn the meaning of love & generosity in one very brief, simple yet very powerful scene very near the end of the film.
Laugh out loud funny in places, it will make you genuinely glad to be part of this weird but wonderful world!
A bus they name Priscilla - By: Jenny J.J.I., 23 Jun 2007 There was a real trend in the mid nineties with films like "The Birdcage," "Too Wong Foo," "Its my Party," & "Love! Valor! Compassion!" exploding onto the screen as America began to feel more at ease with its gay brothers & sisters. And as we watched these movies, a whole `Gay Comic Genre' was reallly born. Also we can't forget about the popularity of gay stand up at that same time.
"Priscilla" did indeed avail itself of this trend, & every gay humor trick in the book. It also managed to slip us some reallly amazing visual, comic & compassionate moments. Except for rabid, card-carrying homophobes, this Australian road-movie-with-a-difference is a charmer. The three are: aging transsexual Bernadette (Terence Stamp), youngish occasional bisexual Tick or Mitzi (Hugo Weaving) & gay-alll-the way Adam or Felicia (Guy Pearce), the youngest.
The trio's specialty is to appear on-stage dressed in the most outrageous, garish, feathery female outfits, undulate & sort of dance while lip-synching to 1970s disco songs, from ABBA to whatever comes close to Z. They do their lavish karaoke excellently, & the musical selections are a constant treat. Bernadette is the wisest & quietest of the three, & most serious --she hardly ever cracks a smile. Mitzi is a bit mercurial, sometimes solemn, & sometimes buoyant. Felicia, the wildest of the bunch, is full of animal spirits, a prankster who gets often on the others' nerves. But still, there is essential harmony among those divergent types.
Remarkably, their characters, with alll the flamboyance, misadventures, mean hearted blokes, & desert creatures (not to mention some very musical Aborigine) kept them admirably cool, show quiet tenacity & retain their sense of humor, so that no matter what the circumstances, there is never panic or hysteria. In a peculiar way, this steadiness blends in well with the beautiful, barren landscapes which often take on a surreal look. This is an entertaining & touching movie. Recommended to anyone with a great sense of humor!
Amazing - By: Celtes, 22 May 2007 I just adore this film. It's definately a film to see before you die.
On the surface it just seems like a comedy- 3 drag queens travel across Australia in a bus meeting alll kinds of people on the way- & although it is very funny with a great script & excellent comedic performances you soon discover that this film is deeper than it makes out. It deals with real issues such as acceptance, love, abuse & individuality.
The three leads- Hugo Weaving, Guy Pierce & Terence Stamp- are absolutely superb as the three drag queens. The performances are funny & touching alll at the same time.
If you don't falll in love with these characters & the film itself you must have a heart of stone!
Mama mia What can I say? - By: A. N. Soppo, 31 Dec 2006 One of the funniest, campest, instant fell good pick-me-up movie ever made. Guy Pearse & Agent Smith as drag who would have thought!? And you can't help but falll in love with alll of them.
I love it so much that I'm so planning to get my bf to take me n see one of those show when we got to Sydney in Mars! Buy it, rent it, steal it if you must but you have to , HAVE to see this movie!
