Kenny

Kenny deserves all the plaudits as a really warmhearted Aussie comedy. I would have rated this movie higher had it not gone slightly off the rails when the character travels to the convention in the US when the film loses much of its momentum. Fortunately all is not lost and the movie quickly returns to its earlier heights.

Kenny tells the tale of a proud plumber and devoted father who is engaged fulltime as a key member of a portable toilet company. He's a rough diamond who - as is often the case in such businesses - is the glue who holds the whole place together.

I loved the way the film attacks the whole concept of job snobbery that originated in Britain but really took hold in the US where many citizens ironically emigrated to escape notions of class.

Kenny is proud of his job and rises above the jerks who seek to define him by virtue of his chosen career. The film does a marvellous job of displaying the hypocrisy of many of his critics in a brilliantly subtle fashion.

Shane Jacobsen is a revelation as Kenny and firmly positions himself among the top ranks of Australian comedians.

Grab that DVD, this is good, clean (ish) fun.

The mockumentary format, mostly seen on TV in shows like "People Like Us" (though Christopher Guest in "Spinal Tap" pioneered the form in film), is still novel enough to spring a few surprises. Shane Jacobson as Kenny the Melbourne port-a–loo man is both a surprise and a pleasure. Filmed on a shoestring budget, this film's cheeky manner and adroit editing kept me engaged to the end.

No public event is too big for Kenny and his team as they cater for the lavatorial needs of the public at pop concerts, motor races, sports events and in the grand finale, the Melbourne Cup. In the meantime the good-natured Kenny has to cope with an ex-wife meaner than a junkyard dog, a son he needs to see more of, a difficult and demanding elderly father and less than satisfactory employees. One good piece of fortune does come his way when he scores a trip to Nashville, Tennessee, to a grand poo-collector's convention and meets a nice young lady who's actually interested in him. The plot is a bit on the corny side but that doesn't matter – it's the humour that counts.

As with most mockumentaries the narration plays against what the characters are actually doing, but the dissonance sneaks up on you. Kenny however is not deluded like Ricky Gervais' character "David Brent" in the office – he is a realist. He is also immensely likable. Usually with mockumentaries there is a cringe factor as the hapless protagonist blunders from one faux pas to another (witness David Brent), but that's not the case here. Despite his private life Kenny is immensely capable at work and with him around we know things will turn out all right. Whether it's a ring down the toilet, arson-minded speedway fans, or the victim of a buck's night chained to one of his units, we are confident Kenny will sort it out, the fun is in how.

I hate the expression "gem" but that's what this film is. It's a celebration of the Australian working man, with truth as well as humour. Kenny's final revenge-taking on an arrogant motorist who had boxed his truck in seemed a little out of character, but perhaps justified in the circumstances.

P.S. SNOB ALERT: The upper classes are portrayed as having very little charm indeed.

We saw an advanced screening of Kenny tonight.

It is hilariously funny, utterly charming and - at times - heart-breakingly honest. The quality of the script and dialogue is only surpassed by the acting.

Kenny is completely believable as a character and typifies the very best qualities of Australian culture, particularly that of the hard-working bloke, in my opinion. It's nice to watch a movie about a genuinely good guy.

Kenny is a hero who shows audiences that doing a hard job well, with justifiable pride, deserves respect - regardless of what the job entails.

Loved it.

Very funny and very Australian. Kenny has many funny things to say and has a great outlook on life, highly recommended. The sense of humour may be too Australian for some American tastes, but I'm sure that the British will definitely take to the character of Kenny and the other slightly oddball but very realistic characters that inhabit the film. The mockumentary style approach works very well, possibly to the point where if i didn't know it was actors portraying the characters, I wouldn't of been able to tell the difference. The character of Kenny is very much a typical working class man, just going about his business cleaning toilets, but he could be in any profession for all it matters as he is a very identifiable with character. His adventures as chronicled in the film make for interesting viewing, and for a comedy, it has some quite moving and sentimental scenes that help to broaden the potential audience of this gem of a film.

At last a simple Ozzie film like The Castle. Shane Jacobsen the star and a writer delivers a portrayal of a humble man with warmth and integrity. He supplies and maintains portable toilets to all types of functions. He does his job with pride and dignity. He talks to the audience while going about his daily chores. In many comedies I crack a smile. In this one a laughed out loud. I loved him.

The film was made with a very modest budget and shows what is wrong with many of the current Hollywood fare. You don't make good films with a lot of money. You make them with good scripts and talented actors etc.