KENNY
Director: Clayton Jacobson Stars: Shane Jacobson, Eve von Bibra, Ronald Jacobson, Jesse Jacobson, Chris Davis, Ian Dryden, Morihiko Hasebe
Reviewed by GREG KING
Expect toilet humour of a different kind with this locally produced mockumentary about a charismatic toilet cleaner/plumber. The mockumentary genre is hard to pull off effectively, and locally one that very few filmmakers have even attempted, which makes the success of Kenny even more amazing. While not in the same league as the films of Christopher Guest (Best In Show, A Mighty Wind, etc) Kenny is much more accessible and entertaining than The Magician, last year’s confronting locally produced faux documentary about a hitman.
Kenny is the brainchild of a creative partnership between star Shane Jacobson and his writer/director brother Clayton, who both collaborated on the clever script. Kenny is also something of a family affair, as a number of the Jacobson clan appear in supporting roles.
Kenny is an often hilarious and affectionate look at a true blue working class man and blue-collar hero, with a down to earth sense of humour and a colourful turn of phrase. This fly-on-the-wall mockumentary follows a year in the life of Kenny Smyth (played by Shane Jacobson), who works for a company that supplies portable toilets to large events, from Big Day Out rock concerts to the Melbourne Cup and Calder Park raceway. Along the way Kenny offers insights into the busy world of plumbing and portaloos. The film also follows our hero overseas on his first international trip, to represent his company at a pumpers and cleaners convention in Nashville. There this naïve, wide-eyed innocent abroad wanders through displays of high tech toilets and 21st century cleaners. There he also experiences romance with an airline hostess (Eva von Bibra).
The film also explores his dysfunctional family life, from his demanding ex-wife and teenage son, through to his prickly relationship with his aged and ailing father, who disparages his choice of career, and his estranged brother. The scenes that delve into his personal life are amongst the film’s weaker moments and tend to grate.
However, the film is over long, and some parts tend to drag. It would have been better and sharper as a fifty-minute featurette. Nonetheless, there are some wonderful one-liners sprinkled throughout the film and some genuine laugh-out loud moments.
***
Reviewed by MARCUS SINLCLAIR
Australia's latest comedy hit, is an unpretentious, low budget production about a man who is dedicated to his job, that being the delivery and maintenance of portable toilets. Though it runs out of "puff" about three quarters through and the joke becomes repetitive this film has four saving graces. (1) Shane Jacobson as the good-natured ocker carries the show. He has a fine screen presence and is very relaxed in front of the camera. (Apart from his father, most of the other players leave much to be desired.) (2) The film bubbles over with great one-liners that have you chuckling from start to finish. (3) Throughout, there is social comment: the snooty sophisticates at the races, the hoons, the smartie who cares only about himself. It is unobtrusive and never labored. (4) As a comedy it delivers, and unlike the other Aussie box-office hit, The Castle, the humour here is in abundance and is never forced.
Reviewed by PETER MALONE
Kenny is an ordinary, decent Ocker (that’s a popular Australian term for an Aussie for those not in the know).
One of the pleasant pastimes of the last twenty years has been speculating on the ‘typical’ Australian, at least the typical Australian male. One of the main icons of this typical type was Crocodile Dundee. Because in those days Paul Hogan was the smiling television entertainer who used to work on Sydney Harbour Bridge and who could confidentially advise his admiring audience, ‘Anyhow…, have a Winfield’, people liked him. And when he surprised them in creating Mick Dundee, the genial man of the Outback, who could spin a yarn locally let alone in New York where he could say to would-be muggers, ‘Now that’s a knife…”, he seemed to fit the bill.
The admiration for the late Steve Irwin – and the many eulogies at his untimely death – highlighted how we rather take to people with Crocodile in their name or title. Crikey, he was a national hero.
But how many of us have ever seen a crocodile in real life, in the Northern Territory or Queensland – which question gives this reviewer the possibility of a minor boast and declaring, yes, he has seen a number of crocodiles while being rowed along the Daly River (thank goodness they were small and mostly on the banks!).
This afternoon I was switching channels and lo and behold there was The Castle as the Sunday matinee movie. Now Michael Caton’s Dad seems to be a fine candidate for the typical Australian male. He was genial, kind and worldly-wise in a nice kind of way, very affirming of people. I watched the bit where Dad goes to court and the judge asks him for his argument as to why he should be moved out of his house. Righteously upset but ruffled, he urges that they just can’t. ‘That’s my argument.’
So what now?
As Kenny might well ask, how many of us go to the toilet every day – even, how often do we go during the day? Kenny reminds us that he will never be out of a job and every major public event needs its porta-loos and plenty of them, so as one of the regular employed because of our regularity, Kenny is a solid nomination for a male icon of the ‘typical’ Australian male. We can identify with him one way or another.
These meagre attempts at a little toilet innuendo are quite mild when we listen, with ever broadening smiles, to Kenny’s down-to-earth comments and jokes. Kenny offers toilet humour which is really quite sanitary.
His film, a self-subsidised venture of the Jacobson family, with Shane Jacobson as Kenny and co-writer, with his actor-director brother, Clayton, directing and with Ron Jacobson as Dad. And they ended up with all kinds of nominations for the Australian Film Institute awards, the Australian Film Critics’ awards and they went on to win best actor and best original screenplay.
One journalist summing up the films of 2006 referred to him as ‘our beloved Kenny’!
Speaking of screenplay, some of the humour seemed so funny I jotted some of it down. Maybe that will provide a clue for the typical Australian male and his type.
Samples – best to start with the often quoted one: there’s a smell in there that will outlast religion.
Some more:
Dad’s emotional account had two cents in it.
I’ll give 150% to God when introduces himself but now I’m pretty busy.
On the plane toilet flushing: Suck yer guts out through yer bum.
On the plane: I wonder what the fine is for not wearing yer seatbelt. It’s $150.00 for a car so it must be thousands.
There’s lots of money in crap. To be honest, there’s a shitload. [The computer spelling and grammar check has just told me that it does not recognise this last word and suggests, ‘shipload’. No, stet!]
The US: Land of bloody flags and anthems.
Commenting on the size of American meals: They must give their toilets here a flogging.
No, he’s as serious as a heart attack.
Makes about as much sense as a nun at a rock concert.
For our family, it’s Christmas cards at twenty paces.
The format of Kenny is mockumentary (in The Spinal Tap and Christopher Guest vein of Best In Show) as we follow Kenny around on the job – and, in close-up, he really confides in us. We feel he is really our friend. We are irritated with his obtuse co-workers with him, puzzled by his cantankerous father and disdainful brother, worried about his rather harridan-like ex-wife and hopeful for his son. We are charmed as is the flight attendant and supportive of Kenny with the Japanese businessman – and delighted when he gets a sale. It is a pleasure going on his conducted tour of the toilet industry expo in Nashville (his words of admiration are in the tradition of The Castle’s Dad). Camping with his ailing father and contemplating the sunset, we like Kenny.
So, here is the average, hard-working, long-suffering but humorous, ordinary, decent (very decent in fact), respectful bloke who has found a place in life, appreciates it and is satisfied, not envious and not wanting to put anyone down.
Actually, that makes him sound like a bit of a saint. And why not? We need secular saints.
And what type is he?
Kenny is quite outgoing socially and at work but not extravert off the page.
Kenny is down to earth and detailed with humour, right here and now.
Kenny can look reality straight in the eye with a homespun logic and solid principles, but agreeably so.
Kenny gets the job done but can let people be.
There’s a great theoretical yearning at times for the typical Australian male to be a bit of a ‘She’ll be right, mate’. But, when all’s said and done, Australian’s do like to get things done. That too is, she’ll be right, mate.
It is difficult to gauge how well Kenny will travel. It will depend on senses of humour and familiarity with the Australian language (and how to translate that for sub-titles). But, for a toilet movie, it is delightful.