Mediocre Movies: The Parole Officer

So, let's talk about Steve Coogan for a moment. I'm not his biggest fan (though my friends may not believe me), and it's mainly because I don't like the awkward comedy wheel to which he revolves. But that doesn't mean that I don't like some of his stuff. Like 24 Hour Party People or even Around the World in 80 Days, which is probably one of the worst adaptations ever made (and one day we will get to it). I still don't understand why he appears in so many kids films, and always in supporting roles. Well, apart from The Wind in the Willows. Wow, doing this introduction has made me realise just how many films of his that I've seen. Anyway, let's take a look at Coogan's first staring role directed by Australia's own John Duigan.

Probation officer Simon Garden (Coogan) is forced to move from Blackpool to Manchester after everyone in his department complained against him, and then just to make his day worse he witnesses his boss, Detective Inspector Burton (Stephen Dillane), murder an accountant. Now, the only way to clear his name is to steal the security tape that documented the crime with the help of George (Om Puri), Jeff (Steven Waddington) and Colin (Ben Miller), his only three successfull probation cases. They are then joined by Kirsty (Emma Williams), a feisty teenager who had drugs planted on her by Burton, and they get help from police officer Emma (Lena Heady). But will they be able to get the tape out without getting arrested in the process? (Obvious spoiler: They get the tape.)

So, by now you've probably noticed the first problem with this film. The main character is a probation officer rather than a parole officer. I guess The Probation Officer didn't have the same ring. The second problem with this film is that it's very predictable, but one shouldn't hold that against it. There are a lot of enjoyable films that are incredible predictable, and no one seems to care. It's the parts in between, the deviations in the script from other films in the same genre. And how does The Parole Officer stand up when viewed from that light? Well, a little hit and miss. There are some obvious jokes that they make at times, including one scene with a statue and a giant penis featuring a cameo from Simon Pegg. But the actual heist is quite ingenius in parts, mainly because the gimmick for this heist is that they're all amateurs and barely know what they're doing. For example, instead of ski masks they use insect masks and crazy string to block up the cameras.

Of course, this does mean that the heist is the best part of the movie, which is true. The forced romance between Coogan and Heady is just that, forced all the way. And in a really awkward, embarrassing way as well. Considering Coogan wrote this, I can only assume that he just wanted a make out scene at some point. Apart from Heady's character (who really is wasted in this), the other side characters are really fun, especially the crew that Simon puts together to rob the bank. And out of them, especially Emma Williams as Kirsty, who is the smartest out of all of them, really. The villain is nicely camp, but not overly so. He is able to be menacing when he needs to be. And he does have some of the best lines.

 
But now we come to the crunch. Is this mediocre? Well, kinda. If you're a fan of Coogan, or of his style of comedy then you should like this. If you like heist movies, even the silly ones, or parody movies then this might interest you. But otherwise, I'd give this a miss. It's by no means terrible, but it is rather ... predictable. I'm sorry, but that is one of the most accurate words to describe it. But now that I can put my critic hat away, I'm going to say that I do really like this film, awkward Coogan moments and all. Call a little bit of a guilty pleasure. Though I do think that the side characters are better than the main character, which is not generally a good thing.

So, to end this little review, I'm just gonna say that if you want something a little silly to pass the time, then this could be it. I do know it has cheered me up in the past week while I've been lying on my arse feeling sorry for myself. Dunno what will happen with this blog after next week when I start uni for the first time. Which I'm still a little apprehensive about. Wish me luck, readers. Until next time.

Careless Love

Second Aussie film in one term! Because there is nothing else out at the moment... Anyway. Careless Love is the new film by veteran Australian director John Duigan, and it's about Asian sex workers in Sydney. And I'm just going to go out and say it right now, I really like this film! I can see why people might be put off by the premise. A lot of people seem to become quite prudish and preachy when you mention the words "sex workers". You tend to think of sex trafficking and slavery, or else you think of the Pretty Woman type of romanticized shit. And not that this isn't slightly romanticised in parts, but it is a more accurate and honest showing of the world's oldest profession.

Linh (Nammi Le) is a university student who works part time as an escort for an Asian escort agency to help her parents pay off their house while her dad is unemployed. The film basically recounts her different interactions and relationships with clients, one American client in particular, Luke (Peter O'Brien) who she becomes close to, with her driver and co-worker (David Field and Ivy Mak) and her fellow students. She eventually begins seeing another student named Jack (Andrew Hazzard), and her two worlds slowly threaten to collide, while she tries to keep them apart.

So, let's talk about what's bad about the film. The acting isn't anything to write home about. Nammi Le can be quite wooden at time, but it fits her character, who is quite introverted, so that's okay I guess. The unfortunate is that this is (yet again) a minimal script, and she doesn't have the right amount of acting ability to pull off the contemplative expressions that we are able to interpret. But she's still good. No, the loose cannon in this film is Andrew Hazzard as Jack. He's just not that good. You don't really get the love story between him and Linh, he doesn't have the charisma that the characters requires, and he's kind of a douche at parts. But that's largely to do with the character not being fully rounded. What he really needed was a couple of extra scenes so that we could really understand the character better. And maybe a better actor, as well. Another thing that has drawn criticism is Peter O'Brien's iffy American accent, but in all honesty, I didn't really notice it. That might be because I didn't know he was Australian, but it's not too horrendous.

I suppose one other big criticism that I have with the film is that it could be seen as a male fantasy of what prostitution is. Linh has only one 'bad' encounter with a client, and even then she regains control when things get a little sticky (any puns you see are unintended). But then again, this is what is awesome about the film and the character of Linh. She is also one of the strongest female characters I have seen in a drama film for a long time. There are plenty of strong female action characters, but they aren't that many for the drama films that aren't monarchs. Or cancer patients. So, it's really refreshing to find a character like Linh, who is in control of every situation. Though this could be seen as another aspect of the male fantasy again, the fact that the filmmakers don't exploit her, or her profession in any way is also nice to see. There are only two sex scenes on screen, and Linh is only naked once. So, feminists, don't get your knickers in a twist or judge this film solely based on it's premise. I think what one has to remember is that Linh chose this profession, and during the course of the film, we see her make other choices to benefit her and essentially, to keep her safe. The film also focuses on the economic side of prostitution, and gives us an even less glamourous view of it. So, the film also doesn't say that it would be a good job for someone to have, and that in the end, it all comes down to the money.

Other things of note are the excellent side characters, that are more interesting than the protagonists in a lot of ways. First, you have Luke, the enigmatic American. The scenes with him and Linh are some of the best in the film, and it left me wishing that the whole film was just made up of those two talking together. But if that happened, then we wouldn't have the two most awesome characters from the film! Dion, the driver (David Field, who you may recall from the "Hungry/Thirsty" ads) and Mint, a co-worker (Ivy Mak). These two provide the comedy, the heart felt moments and the best lines from the film. Go see the film for those two alone, it's most definitely worth it.

Anyway, the only other thing I can say against the film is that it is quite long, and there are some scenes that drag on a bit. But in retaliation to that, it is well shot, and I'm sure those that live in Sydney would love to see their sity looking this gorgeous onscreen. If you want to see one homegrown film this, why not this one? You'll notice I didn't give much away in terms of plot or themes, and that's because you should really discover this film for yourself. Don't be put off by the subject matter, it's a helluva lot better than Wish You Were Here, a lot less obvious and it stays in your head for ages afterwards. In the end, this is a simple story, yet beautifully put together. No, it's not perfect, but then what is nowadays. And, that's really all I have to say. Take care internet. Until next time!