The most frustrating Australian film in recent years, because it should (and could) have been our Four Weddings and a Funeral or Notting Hill. So much of this is perfect - brisk handling, stylish photography, terrific locations (Melbourne has never looked better: cruises on the Yarra, open air cinemas, restaurants, bars, mansions, Myer Music Bowl, etc), wonderful costumes (Melbournians have never looked more stylish), perfect casting (Jane Kennedy is one of the best in the business), excellent cast who have a real sense of camaraderie, lovely jokes, charismatic leads. And yet...
It's bewildering how a team as experienced and clever as Working Dog, who have such a great track record, could make such a fundamental, basic error as the one they have here: a passive lead who does nothing, resulting in nil story. It starts off great - young man with the world at his feet has a quarter life crisis and wonders what he's going with his life. That's the basis of Jerry Maguire, even High Fidelity. But the thing is those guys then went and did something - set up a new business, track down ex girlfriends. Here it's the plot of the whole movie. We see Josh Lawson party, hang out with his mates and date a moron; he has his crisis of confidence, sees Rachael Taylor, who asks him out... then turns her down; he parties, hangs out with his mates, and dates another moron; then another moron; then sees Rachael Taylor and they get along but he lets her go; then he parties and hangs out. It's maddening.
I mean the vignettes are funny - but they're repetitive. We didn't need Jodi Gordon, or the Russian tennis player, or the girl he has a fling with at work (all are great, funny and all that but we didn't need them - they repeat what we see with the wonderful Fleur character). Lawson rejects Taylor not once but three times, knocks back job offers several times. Everything is here is except a story.
And it's a damn shame. Josh Lawson is a potential star (he reminded me of a young Rob Sitch in the way he talked), Taylor is luminous in what really isn't much of a role but she looks great, Christian Clark and Dan Henshall are a lot of fun, Felicity Ward is divine (I know so many girls like her), Lachy Hume a delight... every bit part is well cast. The ending is touching and clever, and I loved the end credits sequence. But romantic comedies are harder to write than they look, and there's no better example to that than here.
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