"A Tale of Two Cities"

7 April 2022

5 mins 40s

Icon after icon

This piece of work is – as the youth say – iconic. In fact, this whole collaboration between Calvin Klein and Palace is iconic. It 's a genius move by the fragrance and fashion giant to align themselves with one of the coolest brands out there, and to do so with complete commitment by introducing a variant of their CK One fragrance which incorporates the Palace brand name.

And so to the film itself... well, some of the acting would not earn a callback if it appeared on an audition tape, but curiously this only adds to the overall impact of the film. It's also repetitive in places, with recurring shots up-and-down people's bodies punctuating the piece a bit too often, but – again – this doesn't interfere with the impact nearly as much as it should. Indeed, the film is utterly compelling, and, despite its lengthy runtime, there is no thought of clicking away (even those of us required by our jobs to watch films from start to finish often find our attention wandering when they are insufficiently gripping).

The interaction between intergenerational icons is fantastic – there is literally something for everyone here. You could probably work out someone's age by whom they point out first... and whom they don't recognise. For this reviewer, Willem Dafoe's contribution is the most fun - he really looks like he's having fun, doesn't he?

The Pet Shop Boys have a dual role, both appearing in the film and providing its soundtrack... a reminder that 'West End Girls' is an iconic piece of music, arguably sounding better today than it did in the band's pomp.

And the sublime cameo by Joan Collins is worth waiting for – it's almost insulting to refer to her as the grande dame of film and television because, even at the age of 88, she retains the lustre of her glory days, and, we suspect, would prefer we consider her at the far end of her prime than in her dotage.

Rather than point out each of the contributors (and risk an embarrassing misidentification) we will leave it to you – the viewer – to pick out your favourite performance, and judge for yourself whether you agree with us that this film is so much more than the sum of its parts.

USA

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