Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton of "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith") has no plans to carry on the tradition of running the family shoe factory in their conservative small town outside of London. He and his fiancé are absolutely thrilled to take in the view from their trendy new London apartment.

Under the heading of "life happens while you are making other plans," Charlie finds himself back at the factory after his father suddenly dies. Although he worked there from the time he was a child, Charlie’s heart was never into the shoe business. He takes care of things by the numbers, until sales drop due to changing fashions. His wake up call comes when he has to start laying off people that he’s known all his life.

While Charlie gives pert factory worker Lauren (Sarah-Jane Potts) her notice, she takes him to task for placidly accepting defeat and not trying to make things better. "Change the product," she chides. On a business trip to London, in an effort to save the company, Charlie witnesses an attack on a woman on a dark street and he tries to come to her rescue. Later, as he recuperates from a pounding, Charlie realizes that the tall and tantalizing woman, named Lola (Chiwetel Eljiofor, Denzel Washington’s detective partner in "Inside Man" and the star of "Dirty, Pretty Things"), is actually a broad shouldered hunk of a guy, named Simon, who tripped on his stiletto heel boots. Simon is a female impersonator with a flair for design. He headlines a cabaret show full of flamboyant guys, and their audiences, who love high fashion boots and shoes, that often break down under the weight of the men. The germ of a seed of a new product line has been seen, but not yet planted.

The film, based on a true story, has an enjoyable, predictably happy ending. We have mixed feelings about Chiwetel Eljiofor playing the role of a transvestite and how it might affect his budding career as a leading man ("Dirty Pretty Things" with Audrey Tautou, who is co-starring with Tom Hanks in "The Da Vinci Code" next month).

Edgerton and Ejiofor are superb, as well as the supporting cast. The true charm in the film comes from great cinematography, the feel of the small town, the smoky cabaret, and the set locations in Milan, where Charlie and Lauren go for the fashion show to launch the new line of hot footwear all have an air of authenticity. An interesting story and Sarah-Jane Potts warms your heart as the romance between Lauren and Charlie develops. She brings the same warmth and depth of character to this film that Samantha Morton did in "In America." This is a rare movie in which the previews (normally okay) are not nearly as good as the full-length movie.