Caffeinated Clint
Could the ‘mockumentary’ be the format that saves Australian comedy? People who appreciate homegrown humour have been going begging in recent years, thanks to our seeming inability to turn out a decent sitcom, sketch program or big-screen comedy.
Kerry Armstrong, Jane Hall, Ben Miller, Nadine Garner
Could the ‘mockumentary’ be the format that saves Australian comedy? People who appreciate homegrown humour have been going begging in recent years, thanks to our seeming inability to turn out a decent sitcom, sketch program or big-screen comedy.
But TV shows like “Kath & Kim” and Chris Lilley’s “We Can Be Heroes” and movies like “Kenny” – projects that use the mock-documentary approach to excellent effect – are winning big laughs and big audiences.
This particular style lends itself to comedies that take a low-key, realistic approach to the jokes, something that suits the Australian sense of humour right down to the ground.
And shooting a comedy documentary-style doesn’t call for a big budget either, something cost-conscious local filmmakers frequently must take into account.
The latest film to make the most of the mockumentary format is the fresh, funny “Razzle Dazzle”, which is reminiscent in approach and tone to the films of Christopher Guest – no small compliment, given that Guest’s “Best in Show” and “A Mighty Wind” are among the best examples of this style of comedy.
Centred around the cutthroat world of pre-teen dance competitions, “Razzle Dazzle” follows the rivalry between the studios run by Mister Jonathon (Ben Miller), a socially-conscious choreographer who tends to create routines around hot-button topics like globalisation and gender oppression, and Miss Elizabeth (Jane Hall), a prim and proper taskmistress who plays to win.
It’s not only the young dancers and their teachers who are feeling the pressure as the grand final of a major dance tournament approaches, it’s also the starry-eyed stage parents.
There’s no better example of this than Justine (Kerry Armstrong), the mother of Mister Jonathon’s star pupil, Tennille – there’s nothing Justine won’t do to get her daughter a spot on centre stage.
Given its cavalcade of colourful characters, it would be oh-so-easy for “Razzle Dazzle” to head over the top. To the credit of director Darren Ashton and his cast and crew, however, the movie never strays into high-pitched hysterics.
Instead, it plays things calmer and cooler, letting the humour bubble along naturally. And it’s a pleasure to watch a film that has enough confidence in its own wit to underplay its many jokes.
That’s not to say, though, that it’s completely reserved in its approach, especially as far as the performances are concerned. Actors like Miller (from the British comedy “The Worst Week of My Life”), Hall and Armstrong (in a role utterly suited to her keyed-up persona) give broad performances, but broad in just the right way.
“Razzle Dazzle” doesn’t rewrite the rules of comedy, but it’s a very likable and enjoyable little film nevertheless.
(Extras Unpreviewed)
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Reviewer : Guy Davis
