Film review. Eurovision: Story of Fire Saga

[nineveh_uk]

A resolution for 2022 is to actually write up some of the films and TV I watch close to the time, not 12 months later if at all. So starting as I mean to go on, I watched Eurovision spoof Eurovision: Story of Fire Saga with antisoppist on Saturday, and really enjoyed it. It is a light, silly, affectionate Eurovision tribute about a truly terrible Icelandic act who end up representing the country at Eurovision. It's like someone saw Love, Love, Peace, Peace and decided it needed to be two hours long.

It takes the only possible route for a multi-lingual film needing to avoid only some characters having silly accents, and gives them to everyone, but the fake Eurovision songs are perfect and as the first gold-PVC trouser-clad, naked torso male dancers* crawl out of the stage you know that you're in safe hands on the music front. The least plausible element is that the UK is hosting (especially as it is mentioned that no-one ever votes for them), so I must assume that the intended hosts had to pull out for some reason and Edinburgh leapt in. But UK hosting gives Graham Norton playing himself, so that's fine.

Watch on YouTube

As a film it is not deep. You will learn about neither yourself nor the world.** But it is fun. Giving a damn about the Eurovision Song Contest is not required, I don't.

*Accompanying Dan Stevens having the time of his life as a bombastic Russian singer.

**Though if new to the subject, you may learn about Eurovision.

Comments

[white_hart]

I had heard surprisingly good things about it, though I am also not a Eurovision fan and wondered how it would come across to someone who wasn't. I might end up resorting to it in my quest for entertaining things to watch while lying on the sofa feeling grotty if I don't recover soon.

[nineveh_uk]

I think it might be ideal for that.

[azdak]

I'm tempted by the Icelandic aspect but I need to know where it falls on the spectrum from mildly amusing to laugh-out-loud funny before I commit.

[carbonel]

I was dragooned into watching it with a friend, and I would rate it at the mildly amusing end of the spectrum. Better than "that's a couple of hours I'll never get back," though.

[nineveh_uk]

I found it in the middle, and it may depend on whether its brand of cheesiness chimes with what you find funny. I certainly laughed out loud multiple times and found it more than mildly amusing, but it isn't in the league of the best comedies. It probably benefits from being watched with another person so you can boggle at such musical gems as "Lion of Love" and Pierce Brosnan doing a daft Icelandic accent together.

[clanwilliam]

And let's not forget that Iceland duly demanded that the Eurovision play Ja-Ja Ding-Dong at last year's points announcement.

[nineveh_uk]

I didn't know that! I just went and watched it and noted that, with perfect timing, as he gave 12 points to Ja-ja Ding-dong, the UK had null points.