Review: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (spoilers)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch is one of the most fun theater experiences you'll have in a long time. Its like attending a concert, stand-up show, musical, and movie all at once. Pumping the screen full of energy and exubarence, Hedwig is the first brilliant movie of 2001.
Not only is Hedwig fun, it is well acted, well written, beautifully filmed, and has the greatest soundtrack in recent memory.
John Cameron Mitchell plays Hedwig (a.k.a. Hansel), a former East-Berlin citizen who was whisked away to America by an American serviceman named Luther. There was one catch, Hansel had to become Hedwig in order to get through customs. Mitchell's performance is so fresh and exciting, its almost shocking that he's been doing it for over five years. Hedwig is a brilliant creation, a diva with pathos, humor, and a very touching life story to tell. Not to mention the fact that he/she can really sing. Mitchell's performance is nuanced, funny, and ultimately sad, and is easily the best lead performance so far this year.
The supporting cast includes Miriam Shor (female) as Hedwig's husband Yitzhak (male), another gender bending performance with great results. Yitzhak is Hedwig's "man-Friday", and wants to stand in the spotlight, but Hedwig prevents this. Shor's performance can be easily lost in the insanity that is Hedwig, but it is really a touching and tragic supporting performance with almost as many beautiful touches as Mitchell's.
Michael Pitt plays Tommy Gnosis, Hedwig's former lover and student. Pitt's youthful innocence and puppy dog personality give Tommy a charming energy that is a perfect foil for Hedwig's out there manic personality.
Mitchell starred in, directed, and wrote Hedwig and excels at all three. Hedwig's stage banter and one-liners are priceless, but his/her monologues are a perfect blend of melancholy reflection and amusing observation. Hedwig's philosophy is that everybody has another half, and he/she just needs to find his/her missing parts (no pun intended). This philosophy is explained in great monologues and two brilliant musical numbers.
Mitchell also succeeds in directing Hedwig , he manages to turn a stage production into an actual movie with a storyline, plot, and intricate angles and shots. The best is a sequence in which Hedwig delivers a monologue from inside an oven. Mitchell manages to make everything look interesting without making it too cluttered or fast (cough:: Moulin Rouge ::cough).
Finally, I get to the music, which may be the best part about Hedwig . I am very pleased to say that Hedwig and the Angry Inch features the best staging of musical numbers in musical movie history. The highlights are the introspective "Wig in a Box" and the fast and furious "Angry Inch". Each number is shot with brilliant directing and is performed with almost orgasmic energy. I insist that after you go to see the movie (or rent it, whichever comes first), you go buy the soundtrack, you won't be sorry.
So, in conclusion, I give Hedwig an unadulterated rave. Its nearly perfect, and is very likely to remain near the top of my Best of the Year list till the end.

Grade: A+