Mental

Went to see this Aussie film from P.J. Hogan today. I have to say I am actually quite flabbergasted that this film has received so many negative reviews? The film follows the exploits of a group of girls, who live with their dysfunctional and mentally disturbed Mother (Gibney), and their non-existent politician father (LaPaglia).

After their mother suffers a breakdown and is sent on "holidays", their father decides to hire Shaz (Toni Collette), to look after the kids while he pursues his political career. She in turn teaches them that life is not all so bad.

People have said this film is essentially a rip-off of P.J. Hogan's breakthrough film Muriel's Wedding. I have not seen Muriel's Wedding in a number of years, and really cannot comment on the comparisons, only my opinion of this film.... And I personally loved it! The film had memorable characters, quirky situations, hilarious scenes, and some truly fantastic acting from all the cast. The stand out for me would have to have been Rebecca Gibney as the crazy mother. Plus Liev Schreiber, totally unrecognizable as a warped Steve Irwin style shark hunter.

While some people may find the humour too crude, or the story too similar to Muriel's Wedding. Everyone else that likes a good Aussie comedy should lap this up! Also if you're from Murwillumbah, and/or surrounding areas, you'll be treated to some familiar sights! :)

Diane and I viewed this film today and we both left the theater with virtually the same thoughts regarding it. The movie seemed to be a magnet for many hugely talented Australian actors but we both thought that the final edit was not up to the strength of that cast.

The actors in this film delivered a blameless performance and they could certainly be expected to because they are some of the best in the country. The comedy work in the first half left us both in stitches(no small thanks to Toni Collett) and La Paglia delivers his usual wonderful performance as does Gibney throughout the film. The children deserve particular credit for their work in what was to become an uneven film.

Even with these shortfalls I believe that time watching this film is time well spent; you well laugh and perhaps shed a tear at the all to familiar episodes that continually crop up in this delightful film!

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'am such a fan of Muriel's Wedding. I consider it the complete coming of age comedy, not only for Muriel herself but for Australian Comic Cinema as well. P.J Hogan provided us with a gem.

While watching Mental I couldn't help but wonder if P.J. was just trying to revisit the wondrous experience of 15 years ago and expecting it to be just a exhilarating. So much of the colour and strangeness of characters were evident. He must have been disappointed.

Sadley Mental falls well short of Muriel's. So far short that I didn't even have to rake the long jump pit. There were no foot marks.

It is not that the characters don't bring something to the film, most of the cast is terrific, it is the muddled plot and complicatedness of the character interactions which causes most disappointment.

Toni Collette (Shaz) tries hard to bring Mental out of it's intoxicated trance but nothing can save this "stinker"; not even methane and lighter fluid.

Good quality humor, excellent actor performance, Toni Collette at her best and I can not imagine another actor acting better then her in this movie. Best movie of 2012 in this genre so far. Don't want to spoil it for anybody, the movie captures in a funny sarcastic manner the madness in which the present society is bathing. For thous who don't know Toni Collette, until this movie, I really recommend United States of Tara, the TV series. This actress really knows how to act as a mental person and know how to enter the character. Definitely I will buy the DVD for the collection and recommend it to everybody, especially to those with similar issues shown in the movie. Thank you P.J. Hogan for this movie!