Leave it on the Floor [DVD]

This is a musical, I will get that out right up front and I am not generally a fan, as I find people just bursting into song and with `in synch' choreography at the drop of a hat a bit disingenuous. However, this is ruddy marvellous. It is about Brad his rather feisty and rather unpaternal mum has thrown him out after she discovers he is on a gay porn site and she don't do that gay stuff (I paraphrase to avoid the censors). Well there could have been a better way to tell her methinks, but either way he is homeless.

He steals her car and goes off to find his future singing of his woes along the way. Then he stumbles on a seemingly happening gay night spot that is predominantly black and has all sorts of categories for their cat walk, this is El Monte, California. These categories encompass everything from bondage, hustler hunk types to Lady Gaga. He gets invited back to a home run by Queef Latina, a real diva with a heart of gold, but she don't like him too much, so throws him out as he is just too much `eye candy' and will cause trouble with the `girls'. We follow him on his troubles being fallen for and falling for others in the progress of this gem of a story.

The music ranges from soul, to rap to classic torch song and often with some fab dance routines especially at the bowling alley. Special mention has to go to Eppie Dural (James Alsop) who in true Molly House fashion wants to have a baby and fakes his own `with childness'. There are laughs and tear jerking moments along the way and some well catchy tunes too. This is one of those films that gets better on subsequent viewings as the songs are that good.

There is also heaps more going on and some of the cat walk acts are brilliant, so have the rewind button handy. For a guy who runs the other way when a musical is mentioned, I think I may have been converted, as I could not find a thing I did not like about this great effort. Writer and producer Glen G@ylord (great name there too) has made something to be proud of that I hope will be appreciated by audiences for many years to come.

This is a fictionalised version of the famous 'Ball' phenomenon, covered previously in the documentary, 'Paris is burning'. The dancing is explosive and inventive; the singing soulful; and the central love story very affecting.