Tasi and Toni Campari are sisters, the former as much a bombshell belle of the ballroom circuit as the latter is a plain-Jane wallflower. Their mother, evidently a graduate of the Mama Rose School of Stage Mothering, lords over them with a drag-queen ferocity. All is cozy until fate arrives in the form of lipstick stunner Mona, who (literally) waltzes Toni out of the closet and onto center stage. Like that, the rockabilly gay fantasia Leading Ladies (playing Saturday at Outfest in Los Angeles) trots out epic meltdowns, comedic twists and no shortage of choreographic glee in service of its lesbian coming-of-age story.
In need of some trimming, the film shines most when it cuts loose, bringing to life the emotion/eroticism of everyday moments through movement. Co-star and So You Think You Can Dance winner Benji Schwimmer’s same-sex numbers are thrilling. But its heart lies in tenderly twisting romantic comedy’s ugly duckling conventions, yielding a nostalgic swing shift that’s less Step Up and more Fred Astaire.
Leading Ladies plays July 10 at L.A.’s Outfest.
