The Honourable Wally Norman

Glad to see this very witty political satire finally beginning to improve its scores on this site. It's overall shape is definitely familiar, but to see it as just another 'Castle' knockoff totally underestimates it. It's by far the cleverest of all the recent 'Aussie battler' comedies, as a few critics pointed out, and it's by far the best performed, with a great appearance by Kevin Harrington (who I see scored an AFI nomination for Best Actor for this, which is pretty unusual for an Aussie comedy), and Shaun Micallef (who should have won an AFI for his performance). 'The Castle' is funnier overall, but the Micallef political ad is by far the funniest thing in any Australian comedy I can think of. Also, this is the most honestly touching of any Australian comedy I can think of, except perhaps 'The Big Steal' or 'Malcolm', and the scenes between Harrington and his wife, played by Ros Hammond, are lovely. In time, this will be regarded as an Australian classic. It's a bit slow moving in parts, and it could have been funnier, but corrupt Aussie politics has never been taken apart better by an Australian movie, and this is a movie I can watch again and again, just for the great one liners and moments.

This is a very funny movie, with hilarious performances from a host of famous Australian comedians, especially Kevin Harrington, HG Nelson, Micallef and Brian Dawe (of the Clarke-Dawe interviews series on '7.30 Report). I'm very surprised by the film's low score on IMDB. As some critics pointed out at the time of the film's release, the scene between Micallef and John Singleton (Micallef's fake political ad) is just about the funniest thing I can remember seeing in an Australian comedy. The film copped some flack when it came out, but I think most of that was tied up with the very bad rap most Australian comedies got in 2003. There was also a bit of controversy when the film was chosen to open the Sydney Film Festival (a pretty snooty affair usually reserved for 'arthouse movies'). Over time, I really hope this one will be up there, with 'The Castle', 'Big Steal' and a few others, as a classic example of laid-back, Aussie comedy. If you get a chance, don't miss it! Ted Emery (Fast Forward, Kath and Kim) has done it again.

A film that sets out to make fun of the politicians should be number one at the Australian box office but this really fails- it just isn't funny. The problem lies with the huge number of main characters. It has absolutely no focus and fails to generate the laughs.

I wish I hadn't wasted my $2.99 in the bargain bin at Harvey Norman. I couldn't even finish it. I really wanted to like this film, but it was embarrassingly awful. Sorry. I felt like I had seen it all before - it was like the writers had just taken every old joke they knew out of a book of old and hackneyed jokes and tried to tie them into a script - who were they kidding. The most remarkable thing about this film is that someone actually funded it! And that actors of the calibre of Shaun Micallef and Roy and HG actually agreed to take part. And how on earth did it get to open the Sydney Film Festival?!? Avoid this film at all costs.

Something about this apparently "too good to be true, victory for the battlers" made me realize how much I hate the cynical reviewer who might deny us its brilliance and good humored trip to the public bar. Its not "the Castle" but its deeper and more deadly in its comedic twists .Our 18 YO loved it. Comments from the participants (on the DVD) tell it all- an opportunity to say a lot of things and say them well .Its a classic in the funny serious Aussie tradition of great films. Sure the elements are understated( and the frame a bit small) but this is us ; If it doesn't bring us all back to where we found home,anyone of three fair go blokes show us how it can happen. Can't recommend it highly enough. Mate ship is not only in the script, its in the actors and the stage atmosphere as they work to make this more than the many trite "shy bloke does good " stories we have seen .Its almost like some of these people are playing themselves . Kevin Harrington is brilliant and Ted Emery's flair adds spades to a great rural story (That deserves wide appeal) our 1