The Shiny Shrimps is camp as a Christmas tree and hilarious in places – with oodles of warmth and tear-jerking moments
THIS subtitled The Full Monty-meets-Priscilla- Queen Of The Desert comedy drama brims with heart and laughs but is ultimately quite confusing and muddled.
Largely lifted from writer/director Cédric Le Gallo’s real-life experience, we meet competitive swimmer Matthias Le Goff, who, after making a homophobic slur on live television, finds himself coach of gay water polo team, The Shiny Shrimps, as they bid to represent France at the Gay Games in Croatia.
It is camp as a Christmas tree and hilarious in places – with oodles of warmth and tear-jerking moments – but it’s quite problematic.
Matthias, who never apologises for his slur, isn’t particularly likeable despite the divorced dad subplot (a thread that goes nowhere).
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He constantly calls people r***rds and, for large portion of the film, is woefully ignorant (“My goodness, you gays sure like to sleep together!” etc), which for a modern sportsman in 2019 is both highly unlikely and a bit naff.
The film is saved by the sheer exuberance of the Shrimps themselves. A motley crew of introverts, transgender, virginal, slutty, the whole gamut is there.
There isn’t a lot to surprise in the straightforward plot but for a few laughs, tears and a whole lot of questions, it is a fun watch.
The Shiny Shrimps (15) 103mins
★★★☆☆
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