BoyTown
Review
by Sean Lynch
Exclusive Interview with Mick Molloy & Garry Eck
Please Note: Before
reading this review, you must bear in mind that the following Australian
made film "BoyTown" does not contain one frame of Bill Hunter. If this
is a problem, please turn away now - or go and watch "20 to 1". Yes
ladies and gentlemen, finally it's an Aussie comedy that doesn't
include the phrase "Strewth", "Crikey" or "Hand Me That Crocodile
Matey". Mick Molloy returns to the big screen in the long awaited follow up to the lawn bowls themed Crackerjack (still the highest box office grossing Australian film since 2002) and isn't this one a corker. Based
on a sketch idea brought to Molloy by fellow comedian Glenn Robbins in
the late '90s (and subsequently used on Molloy's short lived and
ill-fated TV comedy series) BoyTown
follows the adventures of an out-of-luck and out of fashion former
boyband from the '80s who decide to give fame and fortune one more
crack. BoyTown is easily
one of the most enjoyable Australian films of the last few years. It's storyline
is simple, yet hilarious - it's got a lot of heart and some terrific
performances (Robbins and UK actress Sally Phillips are fantastic) and
it's without doubt the most accurate portrayal of Australian culture and
life yet put to the silver screen (the scene in which Molloy's Gran is
sorting out "Who's underpants are these?" in the lounge is a situation
which I'm sure has played out in most Aussie households). There are
plenty of legitimate laugh out loud moments (in particular the often
extravagant video clips - cue the Shetland Ponies and tight pants!), and there is an
underlying drama which is amazingly convincing and touching that is
completely unexpected, but largely welcomed. For those who were slightly disappointed with the laugh-to-comedians ratio of Crackerjack, you'd best prepare yourself for some disappointment with BoyTown.
Not to say that the film is bad, but with a premise that is almost
infallible and a cast encompassing the very best of the Australian
comedy pool from the last decade (Glenn Robbins, Gary Eck, Tony Martin,
Bob Franklin, Wayne Hope, Lachy Hulme, Ed Kavalee, Josh Lawson, Akmal
Saleh and of course Molloy) you almost expect to see something of the
calibur of a long overdue Australian Anchorman. But sadly, the laughs just aren't there. It's
mammoth cast is both a blessing and a curse. Your expectations are set
so high because of the names and familiar faces, it is almost
impossible be satisfied with the outcome. Having said that, you will
often find yourself forgetting of that disappointment because it's such
a novelty to see all these faces on the big screen. Robbins largely
carries the film (his mere presence on the screen prepares you for
laughs), and while giving a superb performance, is ultimately the
straight man of the film without one joke at his disposal (bar one
scene involving the obligatory Robbins/Underpants shot). Sydney based comedian, Gary Eck (best known for his work in the much underrated You Can't Stop The Murders),
gets most of the laughs as the cocky and unco-ordinated Corey (a role
originally meant to for real life former pop star Jason Donavon),
while Wayne Hope works well with what he's been given. However, comedy
veteran Bob Franklin's abilities seem to be under used, which is a real
shame. One of the films' stronger points is it's ability to tell
the story through the songs. There are some superb mock-pop tracks
written by the Molloy Boys with the assistance of Gareth Skinner, many
of which (the title track "BoyTown" in particular) could have
easily sat comfortably on the charts in the mid-to-late-'90s boy band
era. The film's closing act seems somewhat left of centre and
slightly out of sync with the tone of the preceding 90 minutes and one
can't help but think that perhaps the humourously absurd comedy Molloy
really wanted to make was smothered by investors looking to make the
film as broad as possible. Ultimately, BoyTown
serves as an entirely entertaining film - easily one of the best
Aussie comedies in some time - which never quite seems to reach the
potential it's audience is yearning for. Molloy and company are fast becoming the best thing in the Australian film
industry, and hopefully with another success behind them in BoyTown -
we may be on the way to seeing the no-holds-barred Australian comedy (an Australian Anchorman?) we
have all been waiting for, and that the Molloy boys are more than
capable of. 3.5 out
of 5
BoyTown
Australian release: 19th October, 2006
Cast: Glenn Robbins, Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin, Wayne Hope, Gary Eck, Lachy Hulme
Director: Kevin Carlin
Website: Click
here.
Exclusive Interview with: Mick Molly & Garry Eck
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