Who doesn’t love some melodrama?
Queens of Drama, beyond being a musical romance film, is first and foremost a melodrama. The feelings, the insecurities, the drama are all huge, and director Alexis Langlois understood how to capture that weight in their film. In my interview with Alexis, we talked heavily about how he worked beyond the realm of realism to capture the grand and messy feelings of their characters. They addressed how working beyond realism also gives queer artists tremendous freedom and opportunities they didn’t used to have, along with how musicals they loved, namely A Star is Born and Phantom of the Paradise, inspired Queens of Drama. They discussed how the fame anxiety and lofty tones of A Star Is Born informed the lead characters. Moreover, Alexis discussed how his love of 2000s pop stars, most notably Britany Spears, informed the rise and fall of their two leads.
I also talked with Louiza Aura and Gio Ventura about how some of their anxieties informed their characters. Whether it involved messy breakups or self-doubt, both actress drew heavily from their histories to craft incredible performances. They also discussed queer-baiting and the vast difference in presentation of pop stars today from those in the 2000s. Overall, making the film was a fantastic experience for everyone involved, and Gio and Louiza’s chemistry radiated from Alexis’ stellar direction.
You can read my full review of Queens of Drama here.
Queens of Drama is already available for pre-order now on Blu-ray.
