The Extra
Review by Clint Morris
 The
Australian Film Industry has been about as healthy as a diseased
miniature-poodle living under powerlines in recent times,
so it's a good thing that 2005 is shaping up to be a much
better year for the local cinematic society.
And whilst comedian Jimeoin's latest film, The Extra,
isn't the big booster shot the industry's so desperately yearning,
it's both a step in the right direction and a welcome band-aid
to provisionally ease the soreness of our ailing art.
If you've seen an Australian comedy over the last couple
of years, chances are they've been about lowlifes, third-grade
criminals or fixatedly dinkum hoodlums.
What a relief then to discover there's - well, there's one
shonky Aussie gangster in this thing, but he's at least sufferable
- less of that worn-out constituent in Jimeoin's latest and
more of the gunless, more pragmatic variety filling the screen.
Essentially a movie that relies on the comic and charm of
the popular Irish export, The Extra tells the story
of, well, a film extra who yearns to get his mug on his own
movie-billboard one day. Teaming with fallen film star turned
dodgy filmmaker Curtis Thai-Buckworth (Rhys Muldoon), The
Extra nudges one step closer to fulfilling that dream
- but first he has to cross paths with the gangster (Bob Franklin)
bankrolling the production, a mistrustful cop with fervour
to perform himself (Shaun Micallef), and tell his latest flame
(Katherine Slattery) that she may have given him crabs.
Whether you laugh at his gags or scoff at them, there's still
no denying that Jimeoin is one of his countries' most likeable
and exceedingly charming comics. This guy's the real-deal:
as nice as pie, and as genuine as an Italian leather wallet.
It's because of his presence in The Extra that the
movie's such an easy-to-take ride.
While the comics' first film, The Craic was a major
success; it wasn't a meal that made everyone feel full. The
Extra, on the other hand, is a better film than Craic
and much more universally appealing.
Unfortunately, Jimeoin is more 'cute' than 'laugh-out-loud
funny' in his latest film, but in order to attract the much
more desirable younger crowd - even, family audiences - the
adult humour does have to be near excised, and in it's place
you've got to add innocuous, reasonably clean humour that
the ratings board will take into consideration when slapping
it with it's classification.
There are still some genuine laughs to be had - and some
real stinker moments too - but generally, it's the film's
playful relationship between our hero and the lovely Claudia
(a mesmerising Katherine Slattery) that seems to be the hub
here, and such stratagem is more likely to raise a welcome
smile than hit the funny bone.
Whilst the script isn't too bad, there are a couple of spots
that bring out its hollowness. In particular, the end, which
seems to be both hurried and unsatisfactory. The filmmakers
obviously had trouble coming up with the perfect way of ending
this tale and, well, it shows.
If the final reel had been as inviting as the opening reel
we might've been handing over the gold ribbon. Instead, The
Extra garners silver - but that's still a worthwhile ribbon,
and it's largely thanks to a tremendously charming performance
by one of Australia's finest talents.
3 out of 5
The Extra
Australian release: Thursday 21st of April, 2005
Cast: Jimeoin, Katherine Slattery, Rhys Muldoon, Bob Franklin,
Shaun Micallef, Kristy Hinze, Taylor Kane, Colin Lane, Raj
Ryan, Helen Dallimore, Livinia Nixon.
Director: Kevin Carlin.
Website: Click
here.
Brought to you by MovieHole
|
