I think the point of realizing that I was laughing at all the wrong places in this misguided camp comedy was when Hunter found his wife lifeless on their apartment and covered with blood and he still feels obliged to ask the corpse “Are you dead?”
It seems that the photographer-turned-writer/director James Dimitri helming his third film inspires to be an Australian John Waters …… his star Maxi Shield even looks like the late great Divine. But sadly ‘The Winner Takes All’ could never pass as one of Waters’ transgressive cult films as neither the script nor the hammy acting makes you warm to this film which will probably disappear after this Festival.
The plot is about a young wealthy heiress who suspects her husband Hunter (Manuel Kornisuik) is sleeping around. He is …. with both Maxine a larger-than-life Drag Queen (Maxi Shield) and also with a gay porn star Randy (Jack Stratton -Smith). After Hunter finds his wife’s body (he assumes she is dead after she didn’t answer him) so he disposes with her and empties the safe of her jewelry and money and decamps to a hotel.
Both Maxine and Randy are desperate to reach him, but you soon realize that in this film NO-ONE ever answers their phones. They both seem to have the same idea that when they catch up with Hunter they will have sex with him one more time and then kill him. It is just a matter of seeing who gets hold of him first.
Credit fo Demiti as he showed he knows his target audience well as for any gap in th story …. and there were several, he just got Hunter (played by an Argentinian fitness model,) to strip naked or just dance around in a pair of skimpy briefs. The film actually included some of the longest showers screnes I have seen, but it did at least showcase Kornisuik’s real talent : hs butt
I can only hope that Maxi’s fan base ….she was a contestant on Drag Race Down Under , and is well known for her work in the community …is a big enough draw for this disapointing wee film to find an audience regardless.
'The Winner Takes It All' will screen at QUEER SCREEN Mardi Gras film Festival in Sydney 
Labels: 2023, Australia, comedy, James Dimitri, Manuel Kornisuik, Maxi Shield, The Winner Takes It All
We watched a VIP screening of this film and it was fabulous. I have not laughed so hard in a long time. I usually agree with your reviews but this one not so sure.