SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
Eurovision, with its playfulness, glamour and surrealism, is a fine piece of escapist entertainment that could have benefited audiences most in the theatre.
At its core, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is a romance between two people struggling between their love for each other and their personal idea of success. The premise isn’t unique by any measure. I’ve seen this comedy and drama infused love story play out in films as recent as Yesterday. While the love story might not enamor absolutely everyone, it’s fantastical environment and over-the-top tone will surely win over a lot of people.
Lars Erickssong (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit Ericksdóttir (Rachel McAdams) are childhood friends with a common love of composing music. Lars wants to compete in and win the Eurovision Song Contest, while Sigrid gives him her undivided partnership in the hopes that they can become more than just friends. After christening their two-person band with the name Fire Saga and putting on some performances, they end up in Scotland, where the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 is held. As the competition’s procedures and regulations test their relationship, Lars and Sigrid must decide what their goals are and what they’re willing to sacrifice.
It’s the ultimate popcorn comedy, intended for release during a year with a functioning box office. It is evident that some impressive work went into the visuals so audiences in a theatre could be swept away effortlessly into this world. Watching glamorously dressed singers partying together in a swanky mansion without a care in the world about social distancing and mask-wearing on a small iPad screen, I felt vicarious enjoyment, but also pity that this couldn’t be shown on the big screen.
Apart from the sets of the Eurovision concert and shots of the Icelandic landscape, one thing I couldn’t take my eyes off was Rachel McAdams, who plays Sigrid. Being the beautiful and talented actress that she is, she is completely immersed into her character and always gives the viewer a sense of personal history and excitement from her dialogue and mannerisms. She plays the thoughtful adult with a childlike wonder, and the artist with an unbridled passion and vulnerability that makes her very difficult not to like.
However, I can’t say the same thing for Will Ferrell’s performance as Lars. In fact, it’s the opposite. For starters, Ferrell’s incongruous look as a middle-aged man with long blonde hair and his childlike mannerisms made it very hard for me to believe he’s for real - specifically because the man couldn’t leave the nest and engage in a normal occupation after decades of having his passions being undermined by his own people. Even if Ferrell’s character was intended to be a stereotype, it didn’t work with the tone of the rest of the film (more on that later). It doesn’t help that Rachel McAdams looks like she’s a decade younger than she really is, so the perceived age difference is something you just must block out. Probably the only two things Lars has going for him are the audience’s tendency to root for the underdog trying to get with someone way above his league, and of course that he’s played by Will Ferrell.
This brings me to the weird brand of humor this film has. After watching just a few minutes, it seems to be a sandbox for Ferrell to see if he’s still got his comedic chops. The jokes and gags mostly hit, but when they miss, they stick out like a sore thumb. A gag in which Lars chides a group of young American tourists for being disrespectful goes on for a little too long and one too many times for me to like it. The reason Sigrid’s humor works all the time is simply because she’s totally believable in character while Lars just looks like Will Ferrell with a funny hairdo who at times derails the scene. Strangely enough, the hardest thing to buy wasn't the film’s surreal elements, but the lead character himself.
But back to the positives. Aside from using the gorgeous locale of Iceland, the filmmakers went all out with the visuals. The songs aren’t too bad either. The title song “Husavik” is Sigrid’s heartfelt ode to her small town and is sure to become at least half as popular as Frozen’s “Let it go” (except that it won’t annoy people). In any case, this is an adorable film. As a romantic comedy, an underdog story, and a follow-your-passion fable all rolled into one package, this film has the basics to entertain and has a few surprises along the way. Chances are your friends will have seen it (because what else do they have to do anyways?), and this movie is wacky enough to prompt conversations so it wouldn’t hurt you to spare two hours to watch it.
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