(Dir. Rikki Beadle Blair. UK, 2010. 108 mins).
This vibrant movie about gay teens coming out and tackling the homophobic class bullies arrives not a moment too soon. And like the perfect date it’s also smart, funny and great to look at.
Fit is the brainchild of creative force Rikki Beadle Blair who wrote, directed, choreographed and co-produced the film. He also stars as newly appointed school drama teacher, Loris, who is faced with a class of unruly, socially-excluded misfits on his first day and has to cope with their coarse, homophobic insults; made worse because of Loris’ openly gay exterior.
A less generous figure than Beadle Blair might have been tempted to command the spotlight, but this film is all about the kids – some gay and some straight – and follows their interlocking stories one at a time; careful to show both cause and effect and portray their various issues – confused sexuality, domestic abuse and homophobic parents – honestly and realistically. This isn’t some sugar-coated high school musical.
Although FIT was produced in associated with gay charity Stonewall and partly intended for education purposes, it never feels too preachy or overly earnest. The film goes to great pains to show that a person’s sexuality isn’t always predictable or obvious (creating a fun guessing game) but the bottom line is always to keep us entertained.
Sometimes the movie looks like an extended commercial for Adidas, but the fact that a huge, youth-orientated brand has slapped its label all over a gay themed production is a very positive thing and gives the film legitimacy in the eyes of a younger audience.
FIT is visually striking throughout (Beadle Blair credited as ‘production designer’) and has a great soundtrack. In the same way dance teacher Loris gets the cynical kids busting moves to a hypnotic beat, the film has a raw energy that draws you in. Beadle Blair deserves high praise for bringing intelligence, wit, humility and a keen observation to the project and for creating a film which will resonate with and, hopefully, help many young people.
FIT is released in UK cinemas on 5 November.
