Mental

I took my 16 year old daughter to see this movie and I was a bit unsure if it would be as good as I was expecting after reading other reviews. The comedy alone in this movie is very Australian and we both thoroughly enjoyed the movie from start to finish. This is a very offbeat and quirky comedy however there was a much deeper message to uncover as the movie went on and this added to the higher rating I have given the movie. The way Shaz goes about turning around a family who had no self respect and was looked down upon by neighbours and family was what the movie was really about. Rebecca Gibney and Toni Collette were outstanding and I will be buying the DVD when it comes out to add to my collection of Aussie movies. Plenty of laughs and overall highly entertaining.

I have to say in response to another reviewers comments that the fact that they say "muddled plot and complicatedness of the character interactions' causes disappointment only further identifies the lack of knowledge for society around people living with mental health illnesses.

I think that if it is viewed to be muddled and complicated P J Hogan has fully succeeded in communicating the complexity of living with mental illness and the perception society have when interacting with people living with these illnesses.

I thought it was raw and confronting, cushioned by humor. I loved it.

I love psychodramas, so the chance to see Toni Collette in a film touching on mental illness was too good to miss. I was stunned to hear that the underlying story of this movie is true! Some reviewers have labeled the plot as complicated and bumpy - and it is - sort of like real life. However the plot is less important than the characters and the underlying themes. The cast is superb, particularly Collette, Gibney and newcomer Lily Sullivan as the eldest daughter. The characters are rich and complex, except for the father (played well by LaPaglia) who is a bit too one dimensional. I preferred the way The United States of Tara handled the issue of being partner to someone with severe mental illness.

However it is the underlying issue of the way mental illness, normality and conformity are experienced and perceived in our society that shines. JP Hogan does not preach or present a one-sided view - rather we see normality as complex and nuanced. Collette plays the deeply flawed yet strangely inspirational Shaz who serves to provoke, challenge and sometimes overturn the other characters' views of normal. Modern psychiatry is neither approved nor mocked. The "normal" characters are revealed as sometimes shallow and fragile - not as normal as they seem.

The comedy ranges from subtle, to ocker, to cartoonish and melodramatic. Not everyone will like it. Some scenes are just plain absurdist.

I suspect that like Muriel, this is a multi-layered film that will actually stand up to repeated viewing. As for the tag line - well it's going to be hard not to laugh whenever my friends talk of "going to Wollongong" - and I can say that because it's where I live.

I wasn't sure what to expect as I hadn't read any reviews and only saw a quick snapshot of the previews, but I did know it was from the Director of Muriel's Wedding so I knew I was in good hands.

I thought this film was great! It was quick, witty, with laugh after laugh. The cinema I was in wasn't even completely full yet the laughter just kept rolling and rolling throughout the film. Some scenes were completely outrageous and I think this was hard to pull off, if anyone else attempted to do it, it probably would not have worked.

The casting was brilliant, the chemistry between the characters felt real, and the underlying issues and themes are very real so in amongst the comic genius, I shed a tear or two.

There was definitely some similarities to Muriel's wedding, especially at the beginning of the film as the story was being set, but it wasn't too much and once I knew about the Director's personal life and experiences it made more sense.

I don't buy many DVD's but this will be one of them. The film is so Australian and I want to keep it on my shelf so I can pull it out for a great laugh or to be reminded that we are all a little mental.

I gave this film 10/10 because of its ability to make me laugh so hard and make me feel deeply for the characters at the same time. And, because it was bold, outrageous, very Australian and had the ability to blow me away!

Having just watched the abominable Jurassic Attack, and its appalling acting / effects / storyline I sought light relief in this movie. As with much of Aussie Humour some of it can seem crass and even bizarre (think Black Sheep), this was no different and turned out to be way better than some reviews would have you believe.

It is a very enjoyable, zany movie and the casting was very well done and they gelled perfectly it is difficult to pick out a best performance, the last movie I paid to watch was the Big Budget garbage 2012, and wanted to leave 10 minutes in feeling bad I paid to watch it, I would have left the theatre in a better mood if I had watched this instead.

Watch, enjoy and have a laugh, our crazy colonial cousins turned out a beaut :)