December 10, 2001 -- "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" is a top-notch rock and roll musical along the lines of "Moulin Rouge" and "Rocky Horror Picture Show." It could become a cult classic.

Based on the acclaimed off-broadway play of the same name, it stars John Cameron Mitchell (who also wrote and directed the film) as Hedwig, a transgendered singer, songwriter and leader of the band known as the Angry Inch. The band not only has a man dressed as a woman, but a woman dressed as a man, complete with a beard, that's Miriam Shor of "Bedazzled") as Yitzhak. Another member of the band, Skszp, is played by Stephen Trask. He also composed the music and wrote the lyrics of the songs in the film.

Hedwig, born with the name of Hansel in East Germany in the 1960s, took his mother's name of Hedwig and reluctantly has a sex change operation in order to get out of East Germany. But the operation is botched, leaving Hedwig with the angry inch. Hedwig is left by her husband and she decides to form a band. She finds another love in her life, a rocker known as Tommy Gnosis (played by Michael Pitt of "Finding Forrester"). The two form a powerful songwriting duo, but Gnosis runs away and steals all of Hedwig's songs. Gnosis becomes a successful rock star.

Although Hedwig has more tragedy in her life than anyone ought to have to bear, she carries on with style. Her stage presence is preternatural. She's a terrific performer, but the band wallows in obscurity. Hedwig plots a lawsuit to claim her rightful share to the profits of the songs she wrote with Gnosis. Will Hedwig triumph over terrible adversity?

The musical numbers are performed with style and showmanship. The outrageous, colorful costumes are adapted from the play by costume designer Arianne Phillips. The opening number has Hedwig wearing huge, colorful butterfly-type wings, on which are written "Yankee Go Home, With Me!" There are also some interesting cartoon segments by animator Emily Hubley. Some of these animated segments have to do with the notion that men and women are incomplete halves of a more ideal and complete human being. The idea is developed from the Biblical story of Eve being made from one of Adam's ribs. The concept being that taking Eve out of Adam left both Adam and Eve incomplete. Hedwig's quest is to become complete.

The able work of film editor Andrew Marcus ("American Psycho"), production designer Thérèse DePrez, and art director Nancey Pankiw, along with Cameron's solid direction, makes for an outrageous, but energetic and poignant film. It takes a lot of chances, but hits the mark almost perfectly. It is exciting, off-the-wall entertainment. This film rates a B+.

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