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Mockumentaries always seemingly deliver a banquet of laughs - not every joke
pushes the button but the chuckle-a-minute ratio is usually employed
successfully. Take Christopher Guest and his troupe for example; This Is
Spinal Tap is a cinematic classic in the comedy genre, and even lesser
works like Best in Show deliver nicely on the portmanteau of mock and
documentary. Two Australian brothers (well, nearly the whole family) decided
to take the genre in a unique direction when they chose to parody a
Melbourne plumber's adventures with overflowing, faeces-spraying portaloos.
In this satirical look at an occupation which has probably never been
focused on in the world of film, the Jacobsons have done a decent job of
injecting an authentic bittersweet trait in our protagonist which makes for
an entertaining watch.
Obviously, toilet humour is prevalent in a film of this type but it never
takes centre stage. "I want 273% from you fellas today - we're gonna be
busier than a one-armed bricklayer in Baghdad," is an example of Kenny's superb one-liners, which are all funny and never draw pity
laughs. In fact, most of Kenny's improvised stories are carefully crafted and one feels as if the punchlines are never intended as such - dialogue is treated as simple idiomatic conversation. Clearly Shane Jacobson knew exactly what he was doing in creating Kenny's world, and consequently what the audience would find funny, and the straight-faced and eloquent release of the gags comes across as a refreshing change from Hollywood's love of elaborate set-ups for little payoff. The scenes with his real-life father are simply hilarious because of great chemistry and timing, and the added sense of being a fly-on-the-wall in
these exchanges generates even more insight into this relatively normal world.
One has to remember that Kenny has to tolerate his irritating father on a
regular basis, is separated from his wife, and has a son - a common routine
for many viewers. The attributes that set him apart are his unnatural
sincere streak, a gentle-giant speech-impediment and his unusual method of
bringing home the bacon.
The first hour may be a slight drag in contrast to the gallop of the
Nashville excursion and Eve von Bibra's love interest in the second half,
but gratifying enjoyment such as this cannot be diminished. The Jacobson
brothers' piece may not be quite the same class as Guest's or Sacha Baron Cohen's finest hours but the Australian duo pushes the envelope. Furthermore, by
having to take his son to work with him, the continual friction with his
father about his occupation, and his meeting with the Sushi Cowboy, the
Jacobsons also introduce heartfelt warmth into proceedings to compliment
Kenny's incredibly honest and conscientious nature. Application in the Jacobsons' line of work has certainly brought reward.
The summary
To quote director Clayton Jacobson, Kenny is "the Dalai-Lama of Waste
Management, eternally optimistic and always ready to put others before
himself. He represents the humbling nature of common decency." Sounds like a
nice bloke and an enjoyably original yarn - Kenny certainly is.
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