Leave It On The Floor was inspired by the documentary Paris Is Burning; it is a musical with a lot of flavour and attitude! Needless to say I had a great time with this film, the soundtrack is fantastic and the musical numbers are extremely well done and assembled. The story isn’t too unique, but the way the film presents itself as a musical is and I really appreciated the flare.
The film begins with Brad (Ephraim Sykes) whose mother kicks him out after she catches him looking at gay porn. He decides to steal her car and hits the LA streets, it isn’t long before he meets Carter (Andre Myers), there is a clear attraction there and both guys actually steal each other’s wallets without the other one noticing. Brad follows Carter and he winds up in a ballroom, an underground scene filled with all sorts of misfits. They have their catwalk contests in the vibrance of costumes and wild personalities. Brad there meets Princess (Phillip Evelyn), who welcomes him into the world of the ‘House Of Eminence’. Their group don’t tend to do too well out on the catwalk but they are an endearing bunch. Princess brings Brad back to their house, run by Queef Latina (Barbie-Q) who is a little hesitant over Brad and is very strict on him obeying the rules of no sleeping with other house members. Things heat up as the love-triangle forms between Brad, Carter and Princess and of course the fire is raging on the catwalk. The drama’s of life all collide with music and dance, but as the title says ‘leave it on the floor’.
That synopsis was long, but this film does have a lot going on and I felt as though I should set the scene. This is a fun film; entering this world is great and the characters are just fantastic. It has its ups and downs, its happy moments and its sad moments. The film itself had that self-awareness about it, the digs at Tyler Perry were gold, and it certainly doesn’t take itself overly seriously but it portrays the characters in an honest way.
The songs were mostly really good and enjoyable; the arrangement was just so good. I loved the intertwining of different numbers, between different characters, it worked extremely well and I was really impressed with just how well it did. I could sing these songs for days on end, they were really fantastic and the visuals that went with them were extremely well done as well. The dance numbers are divine, I loved them and I just wanted to get up and dance as well.
The performances here are all great; I mean everyone did such a great job. They were convincing, the songs were well handled and the chemistry was just on fire. I especially thought Andre Myers was fantastic, that role wasn’t an easy one and Andre my dear you pulled it off. I loved Barbie-Q as well, a great role and I think someone just relished in playing it. It all really came together well in the end, and it is easy to see why audiences have loved the film so much.
Director Sheldon Larry and Glenn Gaylord really crafted a unique experience, one that is extremely enjoyable and I am sure there are a lot of people out there who will find it relatable.
Rating:
The Super Network 