Swan Song
German character actor Udo Kier takes a rare leading role in this wistful story of an ageing, small-town Ohio hairdresser looking to mend some bridges
Todd Stephens draws inspiration and filming locations from his hometown of Sandusky, Ohio in a unique spin on the one final job sub-genre. Ageing hairdresser Pat Pitsenbarger (Kier) is adrift, finding small rebellions at his care home having lost his partner to AIDS, and his business to his former student-turned-cutthroat rival salon owner (Coolidge). A surprise visit offers one last chance to show his well-honed craft: town socialite Rita (Evans) has died and requested Pat do her hair and makeup for the funeral in her will. Accept, and Pat gets $25,000. Refuse, and he comfortably keeps the door closed on a town that moved on without and around him.
The plot of Swan Song wanders through clichés and paths well-trod, rendering few beats novel. But these quiet reckonings and revelations are explored with heart and honesty, and Stephens’ tonal balance of whimsy and wistfulness finds magic in the everyday. Kier is perennially rakish, commanding every room he enters with a sharp tongue and sartorial mischief; only in moments of reflection do the weight of lost years and lost connections surface. As the mentee who brought about his downfall, Coolidge delivers a barbed dramatic turn.
In a standout sequence, Pat shares memories with a young gay bartender at what used to be his haven in the 1980s, marvelling at the different universes they inhabit. What starts as a last request becomes a last chance to connect, and Swan Song understands the infinite kindnesses and rebellions that make every memorable journey possible.
Released 10 Jun by Peccadillo Pictures; certificate 12A