The Queen of Ireland

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Audience Member I chanced upon this charming documentary in the Pride section of my In-Flight Entertainment, and after viewing The Queen of Ireland, I would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who has similarly missed it when it first came out in 2015. This is part lesson on Irish LGBT history and part personal story about drag queen Panti Bliss (aka Rory O'Neill)'s growing up different/gay in a small town and how (s)he accidentally found her/himself engaged with gay rights activism and the role (s)he played in the referendum of 2015 that, spoiler alert, voted in favour of gay marriage in an extremely Catholic country like Ireland. Sweet and compelling at the same time, this is an uplifting and inspiring account of the struggle for equality faced by those people who are oppressed, consciously or otherwise. The film can sometimes feel more frivolous and there are areas that I would have liked to see the film delve more into, for example, how the rural community's view has changed as a result of the way they voted but the insightful and articulate way Panti gets her emotional message across is simply too mesmerizing and powerful to ignore. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Fabulous documentary on a drag queen who became a political force for change Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Like most documentaries based around a single personality, it's a bit episodic; the early segments in particular can vary in interest level and occasionally veer in the wrong direction (you can't help thinking that how an insulated small-town boy from Ireland decides to move to Tokyo is probably more important than what happens when he gets there). The second half, on the marriage equality referendum stages a reversal as stunning as it is subtle, accomplishing the rare feat of generating suspense and anticipation about an event you already know the result of - because you only think you know how people felt about it. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member I just saw this at a local community screening in Ireland, which is a marker of how far Ireland has come since I grew up there in the 1970s. As Panti herself says in the film, if you're easily offended by a joke that starts "a nun with Alzheimer's forgets to walk into a lesbian bar", you're probably in the wrong place. If you're not, this film is a sheer tide of joy. Rory O'Neill aka "giant cartoon woman" Panti Bliss, became an accidental activist for LGBT equality: the film, made over years on a shoestring and eventually with help from crowdfunding, follows the life, the career, the extraordinary "Noble Call" speech on homophobia, and Ireland's eventual referendum on marriage equality. You're in the company of a performer of uncommon eloquence and an unrivalled sense of theatre the whole way though. Even if it isn't anything to do with your life, you'd have to be made of stone not to enjoy the journey. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Queen of Ireland

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