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Kenny
Mockumentary from Australia about a philosophical chap who's in the rental toilets business. You'll see that disgusting festival Portaloo in a whole new light
Yes, this is a movie about Portaloos. A comedy, and a very sweet one too, against all the odds. This is down in large part to Shane Jacobson who makes Aussie plumber Kenny Smyth such a likeable, decent, down-to-earth and funny guy that the film avoids any lapses into poor taste or crudity. Kenny's a man with a philosophical comment for any occasion, no matter how grim - be it being asked to move already installed facilities or having to contend with the demands of his (unseen) ex. Though the latter has made him somewhat cynical about the issue of marriage. "Why don't you just cut out the middle man: find someone you hate and buy them a house," is his conclusion. Shane co-created the character with his brother Clayton Jacobson, who also directed, shot and co-produced the film. Clayton was inspired after doing lighting work for real loo hire company Splashdown, and hearing staff anecdotes. Not only is Splashdown the company in the film, the real Splashdown boss invested in the film (after a short film based on the subject was a hit). The result is a unique endeavour, a mockumentary with a dash of corporate video that treads a fine line between fiction and reality, a film that is hilarious but doesn't ridicule its subjects or subject matter, and one that makes a hero out of not just an ordinary working bloke, but one who's working in something most of us shy away from: the pumping of poo. Kenny is a no-nonsense guy, and the film starts with him on the phone taking a booking - "Is there alcohol being served? Have you got any Indonesian food or curries?" - before explaining how these substances increase the volume of material Splashdown will have to be deal with. He's entirely unfazed by any pee and poo-oriented challenge: "I don't know what all the fuss is about, it's 80 per cent water and we've got chemicals to take care of the remaining 20." There's not a vast amount of story to Kenny. For the most part the film just follows the daily life of Smyth, as he attends events (Pride, the Melbourne Cup), and discusses what he's up to, either to camera or in voiceover. Despite the job (bookers and punters see him as the lowest of the low), the erratic colleagues, his bullying ex, the uptight, judgemental father ("I didn't put you through school to become a glorified turd burglar." "I'm a plumber dad"), Kenny has an impressively glass-half-full take on life, even managing a decent relationship with his son (played by Clayton's boy Jesse), when he gets access to him. ("Dad, are you going to hell? Because mum said you don't believe in God." "When God introduces himself to me I'll give him my full attention, I'll give him 150 per cent. But until then I'm just a little bit busy.") Eventually, Kenny gets sent to Nashville for a toilet expo. After helping out stewardess Jackie (Von Bibra) with a problematic plane toilet ("It's what I do"), they hang out and start dating. Not only does he get some romantic rewards for being such a nice chap, his decency and enthusiasm go a long way for him on the business side of things after making connections with some Japanese clients at the convention. Oh, and he also gets some hideous revenge on one of the people who treats him like crap just because he handles it. Verdict Shane Jacobson is so spot on with his performance, Clayton Jacobson is so discreet and subtle with the film's construction, and between them they handle the material with such aplomb, that Kenny is a modest, low-budget cracker. Good clean fun. |
