Clubland

In Australia, Jeannie Dwight (Brenda Blethyn) is a cafeteria worker by day and a struggling comedian by night. Her quiet son Tim Maitland (Khan Chittenden) tries to keep everything together. They have his mildy mentally handicap brother Mark. Then he meets Jill (Emma Booth) on one of his moving jobs.

Jill and Tim has a charming awkward romance despite the unreal insecurities of the supermodel. If anything, I want more Blethyn. She's the big name and holds the potential to blow up this movie. The family dysfunction isn't that well prepared and the pretty couple manufactures some fake conflicts. Blethyn isn't really a standup comedian. Nevertheless, this has its moments and the characters have their charms.

Thank God somebody has made a film here that deals with something other than drug-ravaged Westie kids or face-pulling outback clowns. This is a lovely, intelligent, and thought-provoking examination of dreams big and small, and the dignity of aspirations, no matter what they might be. Brenda Blethyn and her ex husband Frankie J Holden are both wonderful in depicting the bittersweet lives of the never-quite-made-it entertainers. Their lives consist of fading theatre posters and anecdotes of past triumphs, as they now lead lives of unimaginable drudgery, she working in a canteen, and he as a security guard in a K Mart. That's the setup. Emma Booth appears, a life force of sexual energy and optimism, which fascinates their son and turns all their lives upside down. Without telling any more about the actual story, suffice it to say this is a film that works on every level. Emma Booth is a great new talent--at times beautiful and drop dead sexy, at other times as plain and unremarkable as any checkout chick--in other words, like a real girl from that background. Highly recommended.

This movie is fast disappearing from cinemas, which is a pity, as it is an authentic Australian drama of some substance. Show biz personalities are notoriously lacking in self-confidence, unsuccessful ones even more so. Yet like the lead player here, they still tenaciously cherish the dream of making the big time against all the indications. Jean (Brenda Blethyn) is a British comedienne of the "nudge nudge, wink wink" variety who once appeared with the likes of Benny Hill, but who gave up her career to marry John (Frankie J Holden) an Australian crooner of country music. The marriage produces the brain damaged Mark (Richard Wilson) and shy younger son Tim (Khan Chittenden). John, reduced to being a security guard at a supermarket, moves out and Jean puts in long days at a works canteen to support her family while still trying to resuscitate her stage career with the aid of her sleazy manager Shane. These distractions do not prevent her from being very possessive of her babies and when 20 year old Tim becomes involved with the uninhibited Jill (Emma Booth) Jean's hackles rise.

Perhaps if Jean displayed some real talent as a comedienne it would make up for the fact that she is actually not a very nice person. As it is, it's hard to feel sorry for her. Brenda Blethyn plays her all stops out, which is what the part requires, but it does verge on caricature. The rest of the cast are OK, with Emma Booth very appealing as the free-spirited Jill, but rather overshadowed by Brenda's Queen Lear (or perhaps it should be Queen Leer) act.

The western suburbs of Sydney setting is well realised and one can almost smell those smoky leagues clubs where clapped-out British entertainers go to die. One reviewer has perceptively remarked that the movie is about letting go – of your impossible dreams, of your children now they no longer depend on you. In Jean's case her personality and circumstances have combined to make this exceptionally difficult, and it is this that provides the drama. Keith Thompson is a veteran TV writer with a good ear for the Aussie vernacular and he draws his characters from life. The romance between the shy Tim and bold Jill is a pleasant contrast to Jean's fulminations, but Khan Chittenden under-acts a bit. Rebecca Gibney, usually a glamour-puss, is amusing as one of Jean's permanently sloshed friends.

If this was a made for TV piece, the critics would praise it to the skies, but as it is, it's just a decent drama. Watching it I wondered how Julie Walters or Anne Reid would have gone as Jean. Brenda Blethyn is a fine actress, but on this occasion the volume was turned up too loud.

This film is about a middle aged woman, who goes through life changes in her career and her family structure.

"Clubland" can hardly be described as a comedy. I did not find it a tiny bit funny. Not even the deliberate and contrived plot of Jeannie being a comedian could save it. It's simply not fun to watch Jeannie making everyone's lives miserable. The ending is rather bad, as Jeannie makes a complete change of heart for no apparent reason.

I must say Brenda Blethyn is good, and Emma Booth is really beautiful. However, these strengths are not enough to save "Clubland" from being a complete bore.

This is a very annoying film. It could have been excellent but instead it is just adequate. There's a lot to like about it, the major plus being Brenda Blethyn's performance. Always a joy to watch as the woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown, she steals the show once again with her quivering bottom lip and comic timing, but we have seen a very similar performance from her in Secrets & Lies, albeit with less variation. Be careful Brenda! You're at risk of getting typecast. The biggest problems with the film relate to the script (underdeveloped, meandering, loose ends) and the two young leads whose performances are uneven, and that's being especially kind to Khan Chittenden who is no leading man. The other problem is this is formulaic in the Sundance way - family drama, quirky characters, conflict, joy, sadness and humor - not traits that are in themselves bad at all, but in this cinematic combination they come together and make it seem contrived, overly constructed and quite predictable. Is it still a decent film? Yes, if you can get past the first half hour which is very unpromising, but it's a wasted opportunity too.