Kenny
Look – it’s not that I’m anti-Australian movies, or that I run screaming from anything remotely hyped, but I was sure Kenny was gonna be shit. And please believe me when i say there's no pun intended there.
Any prejudices I had about the quality of the film were made with suitable evidence provided from the film’s own marketing team in terms of trailers, interviews with the cast while still "in-character", mostly involving the repetition over and over and OVER again of the film’s main jokes and lines, and also gleamed from alternative sources such as word-of-mouth from individuals I have come in contact with. Not that this word-of-mouth wasn’t positive. It was, but the reasons people were saying they loved this ‘little film that could’ didn’t sound like reasons I’d enjoy a flick. All of these elements left me with a strong indication that the sense of humour displayed in the film Kenny – for all it’s great achievement in character work, acting, direction and the massive hurdle of even making an independent film in Australia - was not one I ever would have enjoyed.
Well, I was right and wrong. Kenny is a really good little film, but I didn’t find it funny. Perhaps that’s a greater achievement, that I still enjoyed it despite the blunt ockerisms and poo-jokes that seem to garner a chuckle from every other Aussie that sees it. The shit one-liners (and by that I mean one-liners about shit…mostly) are reeled off so thick and fast and forcibly at the start of the movie – that’s pretty much all the entire first 15 minutes is – that I was close to switching off and declaring myself right about my pre-conceived notions after-all – and I still can’t see why those gags are what everyone seems to recall loving about the film, especially when there’s a whole lot more to like about it.
Rather than the numerous poo-euphemisms (or poophemisms – see, I can make poo jokes too!) what I found amusing was more Kenny’s views on life other than poo, and of course the dad character, who puts on a great display of elderly cantankerousness.
Kenny himself is such an endearing main character, portrayed perfectly by Shane Jacobson, and his plight so simple and such a classically Aussie under-dog/lovable-larrikin that it really is impossible not to warm quickly to the guy. His lisp is an easy gag, but I guess it does add to the endearing quality of the character in the end.
However where I think Kenny excels is in how well it works as a consistent mockudrama with some light moments. Not that it’s any Schindler’s List or anything, but as an insight into the life of a hard-working simple affable Aussie, even a colourfully fictitious one, it makes for engaging viewing without all the poo gags.