Making Up

A gritty familial short set in the 80s East end, Making Up raises some interesting dynamics over regret, broken homes and treatment of drag culture. It lacks fluency or a defined narrative, but quieter emotional moments help it connect with viewers.

Ted (Dave Johns) is a Geordie drag queen recently in receipt of difficult news. A debilitating illness has encouraged him to try and make amends with estranged daughter Cass (Jessica Ellerby) – in order to tell her that his condition may be hereditary. Cass is reluctant to open her life back to her father, failing to understand his line of work. When they attempt one last chance at reconciliation, an unexpected hurdle threatens more than their relationship.

The performances of Dave Johns and Jessica Ellerby are Making Up’s biggest asset. The heartbreaking awkwardness in their first encounter tells of a broken bond, and the intricacies in Dave John’s performance breathe life into a man at a loss of how to repair the damage. Set in the 80s, Cass’ disappointment and disgust at her father’s lifestyle is an authentic trait – though her decision to cut him out completely may feel harsh to some modern audiences. However Ted’s insistence and aloofness during the sensitive situation give heed that there are deeper issues between the pair, and make Cass’ feelings more understandable. Jessica Ellerby brilliantly weaves in distrust and disappointment in her performance ahead of anger.

This diner scene in which the above takes place is a highlight, slowly unveiling the dynamic and history the pair share. Director Ryan Paige allows the scene to develop slowly and deliberately, culminating in an awkward encounter over Cass’ son. Unfortunately the rest of the plot and narrative around this scene is significantly weaker. Ted’s life-changing illness acts as a motivation for his reaching out to Cass, but ends up relatively irrelevant for the story. His drag lifestyle is clearly the reason for the rift between the pair, but it is never established quite what Cass’ actual issue is – perhaps a sign that the filmmakers were wary of risking her being too unlikable or prejudiced. And a random moment of violence ends up being a catalyst for their eventual reunion, something disconnected from the rest of the film. Where discriminatory attitudes are hinted at, a stronger sense of the hate Ted puts up with (and Cass’ new perspective of this) with would have acted as a better and more convincing case for the reparation of the relationship.

It feels the filmmakers could have taken a few more risks given the grittiness and rawness of the subject matter. The film fails to really confront mortality (the outcome of Ted’s condition and implications for Cass is never directly confirmed) and discrimination (it is easy for the character literally named ‘scumbag’ (Carey Thring) to be bigoted, less so Cass). Instead it opts for melodrama and sentiment – not bad things in of themselves but lacking the depth that the films hints at otherwise.

Elsewhere, 80s London is well recognised, with a typically greasy café being a meaningful place of meet for a lost, broken Ted to suggest. The direction is at its best when allowing the two leads to slowly build their characters and put the focus on their impressive acting. Other moments feel overly frantic (such as when Ted is preparing for his show) and at times fail to compliment the action on screen, such as Ted’s fall in the street at the film’s end.

Making Up is moving, but lacks coherency or structure. More boldness from the filmmakers to confront the complexities of their characters and themes would also have allowed what is a touching story to become a memorable one.