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Film Review

09 January 2009 04:42 BST

Kenny

Directed by Clayton Jacobson, out September 28th in cinemas, starring Shane Jacobson, Clayton Jacobson and Eve Von Bibra, running 100 mins.

In a nutshell

Touching, hilarious, utterly charming, mockumentary-gold

What’s it all about?

Kenny Smyth (Shane Jacobson) works for portable toilet company Splashdown. His job is his life and he won't let people's opinions of his means of employment get him down. He goes about his day-to-day work with an unshakably optimistic attitude. He's never been out of Australia, is divorced from a woman who no longer loves him and has a son who won't stop swearing at his mother. But Kenny is a down-to-earth genuine bloke; a hard day's work is a hard day's work and as long as he has enough money in his pocket for a beer in the evening, he's more than happy. Through his life, not a lot of people and given him the time of day, if they had they'd find a truly warm-hearted and hilarious character.

Who’s in it?

Shane Jacobson plays the eponymous lead. His performance is quite outstanding. Due to the fact that Jacobson insists on always doing interviews in character, many Australian audiences thought Kenny to be an actual employee of Splashdown and the film simply a documentary of this most intriguing of human beings. Jacobson nails Kenny at every level even down to his seemingly innocuous speech impediment. Director, co-writer and real-life brother Clayton Jacobson also stars as Kenny’s older ungrateful sibling and the film takes on a completely family with Ronald Jacobson playing the killjoy dad. Eve Von Bibra also features and introduces a touch of romance with the charming Jackie. The cast were almost all completely unknown but every single one of them is tremendous throughout the film.

As an example

"Mate, I'm not going to lie to you, there's a smell down here that could outlast religion" - Kenny to a talkative new employee at Splashdown.

Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars?

The film was a huge success in Australia with Shane Jacobson receiving pretty much every acting award going. Whilst it won't be received over here with the same kind of excitement and fanfare, it will no doubt become an instant cult classic. It may well end up finding its true home on DVD where repeat viewing will make continual quoting a complete and utter necessity.

What others say?

"A triumph both as comedy and character study, Kenny is charming, disarming and funny as hell; the perfect antidote to any disappointing summer blockbuster" – Empire.

So is it any good?

The film is quite simply brilliant. Forget your Borats, forget your Spinal Taps, Kenny blows them all out of the water. The Jacobson brothers have played a masterstroke in developing a character that, when all is said and done, simply holds a very funny job. The brilliance of the movie though is that they never sell their character short, they never fall into the easy trap of going for gross out humour and bombard you with continual toilet gags. Instead Kenny is a totally loveable character, his warmth and kindness are so strong that you route for him at every turn. The comedy is there by the bucketload and rarely a minute goes by where Kenny's quick wit or the actions of his boned-headed employees don't have you in stitches.

Kenny is a complete and utter success on every level; you won't be able to visit a porta-loo again without thinking of this utterly charming and hilarious story.


9/10

Richard James

Your comments:

"I totally agree, the film is brilliant. This review sums up the movie perfectly." - KennyFan Hampton

"The comments are spot on. Would have to say it's the best film I've ever seen. I truly belived that he worked for Splashdown. Love it,love it,love it." - Andrew Mulroy

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