Sparkle is not at its heart a gay film, but if you know the work of Neil Hunter and Tom Hunsinger (Lawless Heart, Boyfriends),... (more)

Sparkle is not at its heart a gay film, but if you know the work of Neil Hunter and Tom Hunsinger (Lawless Heart, Boyfriends), or if you like watching a good film with a queer sensibility, then you'll love it. 22-year-old Liverpudlian Sam (Shaun Evans, who played a gay character in Teachers) comes down to London with his cabaret-singing dotty mother to change his life for the better. Serving drinks at a party, he hooks up with Sheila, a powerful PR boss in a pair of high-heeled boots (played by the fabulous Stockard Channing, need we say more). But when he also begins an affair with a younger woman, life begins to get just a little complicated. Sparkle is a warm, funny film with great performances throughout (look out for Antony Head as a sardonic stately British homo and Bob Hoskins as a lovable loner). Bring your hanky...  (close)