From its original conception, this film must have started as a riot. The premise of having three macho actors take on the roles of drag queens to put together a very funny and insightful comedy of the sexes must have appeared as an impossible task. In the end, the film works because of its tight screenplay and its well defined characters. Swayze, Leguizamo, and Snipes hold nothing back, making each character real and multi dimensional. There are elements of farce, hilarity, outrageousness, and some very daring moves from its three leads. With the help of a strong supporting cast that includes Stockard Channing, as a battered woman, the film moves along quite nicely.
It's a fantasy with a firm hold in reality. The leads portray three human beings that must confront what society deals them, and in the film, they manage to make some of their dreams come true. Unlike other movies dealing with special types of love, such as "Beautiful Thing" and "Big Eden" where the ending perfectly matches the rest of the fantasy, this one faces reality and offers an interesting type of compromise. It's bittersweet, expertly interweaving both the possible and impossible.
Leguizamo shines as the very caliente latina persona who lives dangerously and tries to fit in, in her own special way. Swayze is the classy one, who is not allowed to forget her true nature. Wesley Snipes' role borders on caricature, but he keeps it from crossing the line between farcical and ridiculous. They all do very good work with this very risqué and difficult material. It works out.
