Pros
- Rachel Hunter for a bit of eye candy.
Cons
- Poor script/acting/editing/soundtrack.
- No extras.
- Not particularly funny.
The Film:
Australia isn't really a country well known for cinematic excellence. In fact, you could probably count the number of Australian films that have garnered more than a cult following on just one hand. That doesn't mean they don't deliver when it comes to movies though, as in my experience, I have come across more good movies than bad. From Peter Weir's fantastic 1975 mystery piece Picnic at Hanging Rock to 2001's pool-themed Stickmen, from the tension filled Romper Stopper to the gritty accounts of Chopper, Australian cinema has kept me hooked in the majority of genres. I am yet, however, to see a decent comedy film from Down Under other than Strange Bedfellows.
You and Your Stupid Mate stars Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek, Snakes on a Plane) and Angus Sampson (Razor Eaters, Rats and Cats) as two best mates, Phillip and Jeffrey. They are complete losers. Flunking school and unemployed for several years, they spend their days living in a caravan park, with Phillip focused on the "Gang Show" put on by the Scouts and Nathan glued to the TV watching the soap "Sons and Surf" so he can post on his unofficial webpage. From here, the story splits into two directions. Hassled by their new unemployment manager, they must accept several jobs and stop living off the state whilst at the same time, trying to save Sons and Surf from cancellation. Thrown into the mix is the story of them keeping their friendship after landing in jail. Thankfully, Rachel Hunter is on standby to solve that worry.
Unfortunately, the film is crap. The only scenes that actually made me laugh were the brief moments in which immigrant Evo threw out some well placed one-liners. The acting is horrendous with not a single cast member turning in a worthy performance and the script is far too random, trying to string together a bunch of throw-away scenes in an attempt to lengthen the 84 minute runtime. The soundtrack is also pretty poor thanks to horrendously placed music which pretty much goes with the awful editing and general feel of the film. Disappointing and not worth a renting. Skip it.
Picture:
Lionsgate have given us the film in it's original aspect ratio of 1.78:1 which has been anamorphically enhanced. Unfortunately it's not as sharp as it should be, especially for a film from 2005. There seemed to be the odd bit of edge enhancement particularly noticeable on shots that panned the caravan park. I've seen a lot worse, but I've also seen a lot better. Average.
Audio:
Just a Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track in English which does the job. Dialogue is clear and volume levels consistent, but a 5.1 track wouldn't have gone amiss.
Extras:
Just a bunch of bonus trailers.
Overall:
A mediocre extras free disc for a poor film.
