Goes without saying there’s nobody like Udo Kier, who in recent years has been indelible for Alexander Payne, Guy Maddin, Gus Van Sant, Rick Alverson, S. Craig Zahler, and Kleber Mendonça Filho—a list of collaborators to which literally nobody else on Earth can lay claim, each of whom need his comic-malevolent presence. Rare is the starring role, though, making special Todd Stephens’ Swan Song, the recent SXSW selection wherein Kier plays a hairdresser who escapes his retirement home to style his deceased client for her funeral.
Reviews from SXSW were strong, and the trailer—released by Magnolia ahead of the film’s August 6 release—suggests something befitting Kier’s unique gifts. Our own John Fink was rather enthusiastic, saying it “is built on a wonderfully nuanced performance by Kier, who behind his sadness and longing can still lob a sassy witticism at rival Dee Dee Dale, and when they finally confront each other over discontinued hair spray, it’s pure joy to watch. Carefully paced and deeply reflective, Swan Song embraces its camp sensibilities while also yearning for both a simpler and yet complex time when Pat was King (or Queen) of town.”
See the preview and poster below:
