Kinky Boots...

The most obvious aspect of popular culture that can be seen in the movie is fashion. The statement was all about footwear especially the boots, the “kinky” boots. Basically, the entire plot of the movie revolved around it. It was the source of conflict at the beginning of the story regarding the Price Shoe Company. In the end, the change in fashion was also the solution. Charlie’s idea of making kinky boots for men who are women was both a luxury and a necessity.
Performance art could also be seen in the movie which is represented by Lola. Lola was a night club performer, a drag queen. She sang and danced in front of a live audience who were allowed some limited interaction with the performers. Along with his/her performance, is the music aspect of popular culture in the movie. His/her kind of music involved were…
Kinky Boots definitely show how advertising is involved with all the names of brands of footwear. It mentioned names like Jimmy Choo shoes. In a way, it also advertises Milan implying that it is a very high class place where it is an authority of fashion. And lastly, an important tool in popular culture which is not quite emphasized in the movie is, television. It is the main instrument for spreading fashion trends to the people.
An aspect of the movie that might be unpopular to the general public is the idea of working in a shoe factory. It isn’t exactly appealing to many people these days. I guess that is what Nicola felt too. But also, it’s probably because the profession of a shoemaker isn’t what most people would aspire for. And also, having an overall happy ending maybe a little too cheesy and predictable. When Charlie fell flat on the runway, you could tell that Lola and her Angels were coming to the rescue. And also, the moment I saw Lauren, I instantly knew that she’d end up with Charlie because both of them are the ones “perfect” for each other. She knew how to stand by her man at all times.
While Charlie had his happy ending, Lola didn’t exactly have a happy ending with his/her father. The issue of not being accepted by the family for being a homosexual is a painful one and maybe be very unpopular to the community. But I liked it in a way that the movie did not try to answer or give solution to those kinds of problems, because in the first place, it honestly can’t. In the end, Lola’s father died without them being reconciled as a family.
Another unpopular subject matter in the movie may be the part dealing with financial problems. People watch movies to be entertained and not to be faced with reality again regarding money issues. It’s a way of forgetting reality for even just a while. Money is an issue of day to day life which a source of a lot of problems. In the movie, just like people in real life, Charlie also faced the same issue.
And lastly, this may be unpopular but quite common in drama movies, is the cheating lover. Charlie’s fiancée cheated on him. Of course, Charlie was a protagonist in the whole story. It made Nicola very unpopular and so is the act of cheating itself.
I don’t think the movie has the makings of a classic. It is a good movie though. The fashion aspect of the movie which implies that change in trends will be constant in all generations in society, will of course be present in all times, but that’s probably it. Trends in fashion are always apt to change. Other than that, the issue on how a community accepts homosexuals won’t probably be such a big deal in the future. It might be even viewed as “natural” and common. This certain issue presented in the movie would probably still exist, but to a lesser degree. The movie doesn't really have a heavy impact on society and the issues.
Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. I enjoyed it because it was a light-hearted comedy. It was really amusing to watch Lola. I did not know that Chiwetel Ejiofor was capable of playing such a role. The last movie I’ve seen him in was in Four Brothers where he played the role as the head of a gangster – the cap. To see him as a drag queen, was really surprising. And so, for the men and women, and for those who are yet to decide, this is a good movie to watch.