Josh Jarman

I attended the world premiere at the Melbourne Film Festival on spec and was most pleasantly surprised by this movie. Financed by a philanthropic local and filmed entirely in Melbourne, it is very much a local story. The acting is never less than very good and in a couple of cases it is quite excellent. The quality of picture and sound is well up to the best Hollywood sitcom standards and the whole show ran like clockwork.

Unusually in this age of excess, there is no foul language, brutal violence or pornographic sex. The dialog is full of wit and plays to Australian tastes with some good English rhyming slang, (which is very much part of modern Australian English), and even a taste of Jewish deadpan humor, which should go down well with Melbourne's large Jewish community. I will not give anything away about the story except to say it has a number of hilarious effects and twists that were well received by the enthusiastic audience. I think this film will appeal strongly to the younger set (16 - 45) but there is something for everyone. It should be a hit on the DVD rental market, not just in Australia but I could see good prospects in the UK and the substantial market for British / Australian comedy in America. Try it, its fun.

I saw this film in March this year when I was in Austin, Texas. It was playing at the SXSW Film Festival and I went along cause I was a bit homesick for Australia and wanted to see an Ausie film. I'm so glad I did! This film was so much fun. There were lots of laughs and it also managed to be a bit moving at times. The audience seemed to love it, and were laughing heaps. Marcus Graham was sensational as the struggling playwright. It was great to see him in such a character role. The director from Australia was there (can't remember his name) and answered questions at the end, and the audience were so positive it made me proud to be an Ausie. Lots of people commented that it was one of the best films they'd seen at the festival in the last five years and wanted to know if it would be released in America.

A great feel good film.

I went along to Josh Jarman at the Melbourne International Film Festival without knowing anything about the film, except that it was a comedy/romance. I was somewhat worried because a number of Australian comedies over the last couple of years had certainly failed to bring much of a smile to my face, let alone a laugh. But was I in for a surprise. Not only does this film provide plenty of laughs throughout, with two or three really hilarious scenes, but it also manages to pull a heart string or two at just the right places.

Quite simply, this movie is a little gem. Well written, brilliant acting and creatively directed. If you're expecting to see Marcus Graham as a cool, suave hero character like in his TV work, then think again. Here he plays a down on his luck, nervous and somewhat gawky playwright trying to get his play produced in a big theatre, and he is fabulous. Daniela Farinacci, Kestie Morassi and Kim Gyngell are very strong in their parts but it is Damien Richardson as Josh's best friend and flatmate who almost steals the show. He is both funny and tragic in a performance that I hope will result in him getting lots more work in the future.

The audience seemed to enjoy this film as much as I did. There was plenty of laughter throughout and indeed in the more dramatic climax (of which I won't spoil the story here) you could almost hear a pin drop in the theatre. Indeed I heard two audience members proclaim on the way out that it was the best Australian film they'd seen since Lantana.

I see a lot of Australian films and it is along time since I've come out of the cinema feeling so happy and satisfied. Well done to the filmmakers, I look forward to their next effort.

I caught this movie on the second day of the Sao Paulo International Movie Festival. It was my first movie of the festival, I went with no reference besides the only comment in this website so far. And I didn't regret at all. It was a nice movie, one of the best I've seen in this year's festival. It is very innocent but, at the same time, very interesting. A great way to spend an afternoon. Too bad it's not going to be at the movies after the Festival, for every one to see. I recommend it. A romantic-comedy with good actors, good jokes and good taste. The orgasm scene at the CD shop is the best. I'm still laughing.

Australian films have a bad reputation, and this film is a prime example of why. It embarrassingly fails to entertain in any way whatsoever.

The sad truth is that it is not in any way funny. It uses some of the oldest and lamest comedy clichés imaginable. It was hard to believe this was written in the 21st century. I remember Australian comedy from the 70s which was more adventurous and cutting edge than this.

Seriously, when I think that the makers of this film are hoping that I will laugh at the use of rhyming slang, a bloke being unsubtly seduced by his girlfriend's mother and uncool dance moves, I'm insulted.

When i was about five or six, I might have been amused. The scary thing is that when I was five or six, I was indeed amused by pretty much the same stuff. It was called Adventure Island, a TV series that drew on pantomime theatre traditions.

Unfortunately, this is film designed for adults, and someone needs to explain to the makers of this film that the world has become a lot more sophisticated since 1970, and that grown- ups expect a bit of wit in their entertainment.