Kenny (2006) User Reviews

Possibly the best mockumentary ever

[paulmartin-2 · 8/10 · 30 October 2006]

The funniest Australian comedy since Muriel's Wedding – I laughed so much it had me in tears. In fact, the most of the audience were laughing. This was brilliantly conceived and executed. It had realism to the extent that the person who saw it with me thought it was an actual documentary. The humour was so good-natured, intelligent, authentic, full of irony and contained different layers of reality. The depictions of family life were terrific – the ex-wife, the miserable father, the intolerant brother (played by the real-life brother and director of the film).

The authenticity was enhanced by being filmed on location at actual events such as the Melbourne Cup and the Cleaners and Pumpers Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The film is naturally full of toilet humour, but not as we are accustomed to. It was really underplayed in a natural, inoffensive and genuinely funny manner.

I didn't intend seeing this film, thinking it would be just another run-of-the-mill feel-good comedies. I went because I had free tickets, and I'm so glad I did. It is highly original and well worth paying to see this real gem of a film that really encapsulates aspects of Australian humour and culture. Kenny is proof that you don't need a big budget to produce a really entertaining film.

A hilariously funny movie with a heart

[VReviews · 8/10 · 13 August 2010]

"Kenny" is a mocumentary about a Melbourne Aussie (Kenny) who's a porta-potty guru. As you learn the business of waste management you soon realize there's more to Kenny than meets the eye. As he battles the oddities of dealing with people and their waste needs, you are treated with some of the best common sense wisdom. He covers everything from divorce, fatherhood, family conflicts, to death, and employee relations. He is an honest, straightforward, simple guy who just wants to do a good job for people and be treated with respect.

"Kenny" is a hilariously funny movie with a heart. The comedic timing is right on with great acting that you'll have to keep reminding yourself is not real. This is a movie you will think about for a long time after. English subtitles are provided for the "Aussie-Impaired".

Shane Jacobson hits a clear home run with "Kenny"

[fish_stix03 · 7/10 · 1 October 2006]

It's pretty amazing that a film like Kenny, a mockumentary about a man who runs a port-a-loo delivery and cleaning business, manages to rise above immature toilet jokes and becomes a film that is charming, warm and smartly written. There is, of course, the odd cheap toilet gag (really, it'd be almost impossible to avoid a few in a film like this), but most of the humour comes from Kenny's personality and the warmth of the film comes from his complete decency as a human being.

The film opens with Kenny (Shane Jacobson) talking on the phone to a prospective client. He asks his potential client questions like "Are you serving alcohol, or any hot curries?" Then he states that because the function was serving alcohol and was a curry night, it would affect the services he was providing. I remember smiling inwardly at this, but it wasn't because I saw images of people queuing up outside a port-a-loo after having a chilli cook-off. It was because of the way Kenny was asking the questions. He was completely deadpan and serious, because this is his business. There's no humour in toilet jokes for him, because toilets are how he makes his living. I had a feeling after this opening scene that I would like this film.

As we get to know more about Kenny, we learn that he has a child from a broken marriage, that his father is ashamed that his son is no more than a toilet delivery boy, and that his co-workers (well, one co-worker specifically) come to him with endless complaints about the state of their love-lives. All of the characters are quintessentially Australian. They don't have much, but what they do have they cherish, and while they might not be book-smart, they're not dumb and are incredibly genuine. Kenny's wife appears to have an inexplicable hatred for Kenny (admittedly, her face is blurred, presumably because she didn't want to be shown in the "documentary", and we only ever hear her when she's dropping their son off). This is pretty difficult to believe, because the way the film is edited makes Kenny out to be an engaging, well-meaning larrikin. He has an endless reserve of similes and metaphors (some great lines are, "there's a smell in there that will outlast religion", "I drink beer like it's going out of fashion and I'm a new trend-setter", and that on Melbourne Cup day they'd be "busier than a one-armed brick-layer in Baghdad"), most of them very, very funny.

And so the film progresses, Kenny going from function to function, visiting his father with his son, and taking his son to work (on Melbourne Cup day) because his ex-wife decided to drop the child on him at the last minute. Eventually, the film takes Kenny to an exhibition about portable toilets in Nashville. He makes friends with an Asian businessman he nicknames "The Sushi Cowboy", and is oblivious (for a little while) to the advances of an air stewardess.

There's another moment at the end of the Melbourne Cup that endeared me to the film even more. A young girl, about twenty, is so drunk that she simply squats in the car park and lets her bladder go. Now, that would be the punch line of a joke in a Rob Schneider or Adam Sandler comedy, but in Kenny, it's a sad moment. Kenny sees this from his car as he leaves, and the look on his face is one of disgust and dismay. When I saw that look on his face, I fully understood that Kenny is a man of dignity, a man who has a difficult job, and is pretty damn good at it. There's a montage that shows us the way Kenny is treated by his clients (he offers to shake one man's hand and is ignored, and is yelled at and abused by several others), which leaves us feeling genuine sympathy for him. Kenny is a man who does a difficult job, and doing a difficult job deserves respect.

This film, obviously immensely influenced by This is Spinal Tap, doesn't quite achieve greatness because, as is often the case, the ending falls flat. I remember that when I saw it, the last shot of the film drew huge laughs, but I was more confused than won over. I suppose it is quite funny, but it is inconsistent with who Kenny is and what we've seen of him in the film. I would have liked to see Kenny be the same, understanding, well-meaning bloke through to the end of the film instead of retaliating in a pretty cruel way as he does at the end of the film. It is fitting (the message is that Kenny is defecating on the world that has defecated on him for so long), but perhaps not worthy of the 90 minutes of class before it.

Heartwarming stuff

[jdogscoop · 7/10 · 30 July 2010]

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.

Brilliant warm and funny comedy / drama

[parden · 9/10 · 28 July 2006]

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.

Doesn't work so well as a comedy but it does as an interesting observation of an ordinary man

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 7/10 · 30 March 2008]

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

The titular Kenny (Shane Jacobson) earns his living as a portaloo repairman. Not the most glamorous or well respected of jobs, but Kenny approaches his work with a dedicated sense of professionalism and integrity that isn't so apparent with many of his co-workers. The film follows him as he copes with the struggles in his life, from said slacker co-workers, to difficult and downright rude members of the public, and into his personal life, with his relationships with his difficult ex-wife, the son he needs to see more and his constantly criticizing elderly father who, like many others, can't accept how happy Kenny is with his job.

The Australian film-market is one that goes largely ignored over here, even though it is most likely as vibrant and up-and-running as ours. And the Aussies have a neat sense of humour and ability to laugh at themselves. But, although they've made Kenny, it's a story that could be set anywhere: about an ordinary man living the most unremarkable of lives that proves to be so much more interesting than anyone could have thought.

Kenny manages to be a more interesting character than the film provides laughs. Not to say that it isn't funny at all, there are a few scenes that will really make your sides split, but as a whole it proves more interesting to observe Kenny as a character than as a none stop laugh riot. Here is a man who has dedicated his life to an ordinary job but who's picked up untold pearls of wisdom by doing so, such as observations on men and women's different attitudes to using the toilet, and moaning at gripes such as blockages caused by 'a one inch hole used by a guy with a two inch arsehole' and on idiots who scrawl slogans like 'I was here' on portaloos. In terms of such an everyday thing as, er, using a public toilet, he's someone we can all relate to.

More of an interesting character study than a funny film, then, but well worth watching all the same. ***

Move Over Superman - Kenny is a True Hero

[michael-pittman · 9/10 · 12 August 2006]

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.

Entertaining spoof quirkumentary that benefits from a convincing and likable character in Jacobson's Kenny

[bob the moo · 28 May 2008]

Kenny Smyth is a plumber of sorts and his career has seen him working for Splash-Down, a company that hires out port-a-loos to events ranging from small fêtes up to large music festivals. His work doesn't see him garner a lot of respect from those that he meets and has cost him an acrimonious split with his wife but his outlook on life remains surprisingly reflective and upbeat in his own unassuming manner.

I cannot remember how I heard of Kenny but I think it was in someone's list for the best films of the year and I added it to my LoveFilm list and immediately forgot about it. A month or so later it got released in the UK and turned up on my doorstep to be met with a blank look from me. Watching the start of it I was not sure quite what I had let myself in for but assumed that it would be a spoof quirkumentary with easy laughs and awkward moments aplenty – not that this would be a bad thing necessarily. What I found was actually quite a charming little film that is almost totally carried on the shoulders of Kenny himself. Plotting is not that important in regards where the story is going but it is well written so that it does feel like we are just riding along with Kenny as he works the festivals, attends a conference and has opportunities and challenges in his personal life.

Those expecting to be rolling with laughter will probably be disappointed because although it is funny, it is more amusing and very well observed rather than hilarious. Despite his job (and the fact that he is an Australian bloke) I found Kenny really easy to like and the gentle introduction to him helped me to continue to be interested even as the plot turned a bit more to being a "story" towards the end. The blunt nature of Kenny and the other characters does really work and aids the authentic feel of the film. Speaking of which, some have complained about the cinematography and, to a certain extent, I agree that it is not the best looking film. The hand-held approach is not the problem because of course this is being true to what it is but my problem is that the shots are often very tight on the subjects, meaning that the slightest movement does distract more than it should. Jacobson as writer and actor is responsible for a lot of the cohesion that the film has because his performance is natural and engaging; the support cast are as good but he carries the majority of the film.

Overall then this is a charming little Australian film. The marketing of it as a hilarious comedy doesn't do it many favours because it is more amusing than anything else but it is the heart of the film and the character that makes it an easy and entertaining watch.

Pray to god he is still out there... somewhere....

[hashmanis · 7/10 · 13 January 2007]

Okay. I liked the film. A good mockumentary. It was fun even though predictable in parts.

But I am not sure WHY I liked it. The lead is quite solid... literally. And the film is about solids... literally...

But there was something else. Maybe the overused contrived Aussie lingo was enough for some, but for me, some of the sayings died like a flat wheel on a go cart. Okay that was bad and a lot of the colloquialisms in the film are just as bad. So why did I like this film then? There was something about Kenny! The way Shane played the character. He was endearing. He was believable and he was very very real, even with the fake sayings.

The first half of the film was a little like watching paint dry for me. But when he began his trip overseas, something ...happened. Maybe it was his naivety or his generosity, but something happened.

We got to follow a short period in the life of a below average joe. We got to see the way he is treated by the people that so urgently need his services and we got to see into his personal life. We got to see that into his dysfunctional family life and his dysfunctional staff and more than that, we got to see into the dysfunctional society that is Australia and how you have to laugh or you really are up excrement creek without a paddle.

Big guy with a big heart.

And like mad max.... lets all pray to god he is still out there... somewhere....

Very funny and very Australian

[davidkimber · 9/10 · 18 August 2006]

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.

Kenny is hard not to like.

[alfredsmith · 7/10 · 9 December 2006]

Because it's a mockumentary, the plot is ultra sparse, yet it is difficult not to like Shane Jacobson's portrayal of Kenny, and let's face it the film has it's more than fair share of funny moments. Crikey, Jacobson even won the 2006 AFI award for best actor. However, I don't think this film is in the same class as, for example, "The Castle" or even "The Dish" due to the nature of it's comedy. But it doesn't matter as it's a fun film that everyone, except young children (coarse language), will enjoy. I hope that this spearheads a resurgence in Aussie cinema that has been in a state of steady decline for many years.

So believable, it has Aussies guessing

[Jsue · 9/10 · 15 November 2006]

While in Australia I was advised to watch this movie because it had been so well received by the viewers in Australia that many people were wanting to know MORE about Kenny. Who is he? Exactly where does he live? ... and such!

I was fascinated the entire time with Kenny. Shane Jacobson is as honest in his role as Kenny as Kenny is in dealing with his life. His interaction with every character is consistently humble, kind, patient and simply inspiring.

Who knew that porta-potties could be such serious business. It certainly increased my respect for people who do this sort of work, while entertaining me.

The writers and directors and actors did a wonderful job of making me care about this big, lovable, hug-able man. I hoped so much that he'd "get the girl" in the end. I'm glad they gave us closure on this.

You will be glad you watched this movie. It's mock-umentary at its very best! And then when you add that wonderful, warm, positive Australian zest for life...it becomes a "must see" in my book!

Mockumentary isn't the right description

[kr98664 · 6/10 · 25 October 2020]

Lots of reviewers have called this a mockumentary, but that isn't quite the right word. For that category, I think of Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, etc. In those movies, the characters are comedic caricatures, gently mocked, hence the mockumentary moniker.

This movie was subtly different. Kenny, the primary character, was consistently portrayed as a decent, hard-working man handling an unpleasant job with grace and a well-deserved sense of humor. Well worth a watch. As others have said, I'm not sure I'll ever look the same again at a portable toilet.

Parts of the movie reminded me of my own late father. He worked hard and had a very prestigious career. But no matter where we traveled, he treated everybody with the same respect, no matter their occupation or status. That's a good lesson to model and quietly pass down to an impressionable young man.

The Australian Grand Poo Bah.

[ptb-8 · 5/10 · 25 August 2006]

This is a very funny and well scripted and acted mockumentary about a nice Australian bloke who works to set up and run portable toilets at outdoor events like rock concerts and race course galas. What's funny about that? The dry wit of it all and the hilarious dialog. KENNY has enjoyed excellent reviews from mainstream media in Australia and could easily become a family cult favorite like THE CASTLE did in the 90s. As a farce doco, like BEST IN SHOW or A MIGHTY WIND it traces believable people in their habitat clashing and traveling and winning their respective day. No the jokes are not all about body functions even if the theme of the film is. It is a surprisingly hilarious movie because of the main actor, Shane, one of the Jacobsen Brothers who created the idea for the film. BUT I also warn viewers to sit a mile away from the screen: KENNY is the worst photographed film in recent memory. Infuriatingly filmed with gawking close-up wobble-cam, the idiotic hand-held 'you are there one inch away' school of reality filming, I almost gave up on my enjoyment of KENNY just to get away from the screen. The sooner someone re introduces the concept of using a tripod to film schools nationwide, the happier I will be. Great film, KENNY, shame about the visual obstacle course to enjoy.

Pleasant

[tastyhotdogs · 6/10 · 10 March 2007]

Had been waiting to hire this until there was nothing more exciting available at "Video Busters".

"Kenny" follows the daily activity of Kenny Smyth, a portable toilet installer. It's kind of filmed like a documentary, but you sort of forget that at times. Kenny is a great bloke with plenty of anecdotes about human excrement and toilets, mostly because his whole life revolves around his job. Gradually the story delves into family, relationships, life priorities, but probably never probes quite enough and also fails to really get all the potential out of some great scenes eg his father in the caravan park. Kenny's life potentially turns around after he's sent to the USA for a portaloo convention, where he hooks up with an airline stewardess and negotiates a huge deal for his company, but inexplicably both of these story lines are left hanging to focus on an ill father.

Was nice enough and a few great one liners, but could have been more. Please do not compare it to "The Castle". Two completely different films.

Tribute to the Everyday Working Man

[nturner · 10/10 · 7 November 2008]

I have to admit that I was totally fooled by Kenny as I did not know it was a mockumentary until the final credits. I'm hoping you think this is because the film is so thoroughly convincing rather than I am really gullible. No matter, because this is an absolute gem of a film that tickles your funny bone over and over and also tugs away at your heart.

Kenny Smyth likes to refer to himself as a plumber, but in reality, he installs and services portable toilets. Not only is he very good at his job, he is very good at life and is truly an every-man's philosopher. The wisdom that springs from his mouth is hilarious and sincere, and it just makes you feel good to listen to him talk.

Kenny works for Splash Down - a real company whose owner helped to finance the film. Splash Down is a very large company that supplies portable toilets for many huge events in Australia, and Kenny is a valued member of the work force. He has a work ethic to be admired - and pondered by his less enthusiastic workmates.

A divorced man with a pre-adolescent son, Kenny has a strained relationship with his ex-wife. This is through no fault of his own as his wife is the living definition of a bitch. Kenny absorbs her abuse in the same way that he deals with abuse from customers with a, "Let's work it out, Love," attitude that makes him a lovable bear of a man. He never loses his temper or composure until the final scene of the film, and the results of that loss of control is side-splitting fun.

All of the people in Kenny's personal life look down upon him because of his trade. His "more successful" older brother has basically disassociated himself from the family, and Kenny's father seems to be able to do nothing but criticize him for not seeking a higher station in life. The family scenes are hauntingly realistic and tear at the heart.

During the film, Kenny attends the Cleaners and Pumpers Convention in Nashville, Tennessee - acres and acres of totally fascinating portable johns and s**t toting equipment. Kenny is like a kid at Disney World. Filming at the convention adds a s**tload of tongue-in-cheek fun to the film.

The climatic scenes of the film take place at the Melbourne Cup which seems to be like the Kentucky Derby on steroids. (http://www.melbournecup.com/melbourne-cup-carnival/) Here we see Kenny at his very best and most heartwarming.

The special features on the DVD are almost as entertaining as the film. The viewer is offered insight into the genesis of the feature-length version of Kenny as well as the filmmakers and the people who supported them in the project. Clayton and Shane Jacobson are brothers. Shane plays Kenny in the film, and appropriately, Clayton plays Kenny's brother. But that isn't the end of the family connection as Kenny's fictional father is played by Clayton and Shane's real father, and Kenny's fictional son is played by Clayton's son. You will find that the Jacobson family and friends are just as entertaining and fascinating as Kenny's fictional family and friends.

I haven't experienced good, warm laughter in a long time watching a film. Kenny is overflowing with tons of heartfelt humor. It is a real pick-me-up and a serious tribute to the everyday working man who is not acknowledged nearly enough in this success-centered world or ours.

Who doesn't like a bit of toilet humour!

[Supersonicyouth · 7/10 · 9 October 2007]

The problem I noticed when I lived in Australia was Australians are very bias when it comes to Australian 'things'. Music and films that are, to the rest of the world watching/listening with open minds distinctively average, Australians seem to think are the best ever! You can notice that reading a lot of these reviews of 'Kenny' from Australians giving it 10/10 or 9/10...its good but its not that good. There are quite a few typical Australian jokes which having lived in Australia I found funny, but anyone having never been not maybe wont quite get it all! It is funny (Shane Jacobson's performance is priceless!), don't get me wrong I laughed just as much as the next man when Kenny takes his son to visit the miserable Granddad, but its an hour and a half long and the jokes get quite repetitive and wear pretty thin once your past the hour mark, and its not one of those films I found that funny the second time I saw it.

It is definitely worth checking out, but I think 7/10 is fair, its an enjoyable watch but don't expect to be blown away!

Go forth and conquer, Kenny!

[amandacorber · 10/10 · 13 January 2007]

This is a truly wonderful film. The acting, direction and camera-work really give it a realistic and believable feel - I actually forgot that the film was fictional while watching it. I resent a comment posted earlier on this site suggesting that this film should only be released in Australia because they are the only ones who can truly appreciate it. That's exactly the mentality that keeps these types of authentic, quirky movies struggling and big budget airhead movies so comfortable. Being Canadian does not necessarily mean I can only appreciate Canadian film, and Canadian film has no place in the global market - that's ridiculous! "Kenny" is a perfect example of a small film with a very particular focus and a healthy approach to local charm and quirkiness. Whether you've heard any of his hilarious expressions before or not, they will still be adorably funny. The characters are genuine, the story is charming and the artistic vision is strong. Obviously different cultures will appreciate films differently but I really believe that this film merits as much success as it can find. I hate to gush but really, this movie deserves much props.

More to it than I expected

[plawton · 7/10 · 10 December 2006]

I thought this movie would be just a funny collection of jokes about bodily functions but found it much more rewarding than that. The other thing is that, in this day of males either being depicted as superheroes or deviants - it was refreshing to see a film where the leading male was a good-hearted, believable, guy next door type of character.

Well written with excellent characterisations - I gave the film a strong 7/10. I was also surprised how well the theme of the movie sustained itself for the 90 mins or so it ran. A real feel-good film with quite a few extra comments thrown in.

Best Aussie film since Loved your email.

[kiwiham · 9/10 · 26 December 2007]

Kenny is the funniest, sweetest and most clever Aussie comedy since Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Muriel's Wedding. It is bitter sweet in t he style of both Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Muriel's Wedding. Want to laugh like hell and feel for the character of Kenny then watch Kenny. My elderly Mother did not realize that Kenny was a mockumentary until near the end of the film. She thought it was a straight documentary - bless her cotton socks. I am a New Zealander and Aussie culture is very near our culture but I am sure if you are American or British or Mongolian you will enjoy Kenny. Really – so go on and watch, fast.

Better than most, still not quite great

[Tintin a Tokyo · 7/10 · 12 September 2006]

After the media hype about this film comparing it to The Castle, and the recommendations of a number of people online, I went to see Kenny today.

First of all, the good: the character of Kenny himself is wonderful and truly Australian in its portrayal of a genuinely nice, unambitious, stoic bloke who enjoys his life and goes about his business with a sense of humour and forbearance. No-one respects his job (including his father and brother), his ex-wife is a harridan, his workmates are unreliable - but still Kenny does his thing and doesn't give in to cynicism or negativity. The relationship he begins to develop with an airline stewardess on his first flight overseas is wonderfully gentle and understated for an Australian movie. Some of the dialogue is quite subtly clever in a homespun, down-to-earth kind of way.

The bad: Kenny and his stewardess friend are about the only two positive characters in this story (with the possible exception of the Sushi Cowboy). The negativity and pessimism of every other incidental character, and the rather negative portrayal of Australian culture in general, are rather wearing. Although clearly meant to highlight Kenny's innate goodness, I'd feel ashamed to have this movie shown overseas and be represented as a culture by hoons setting fire to portaloos and well-dressed women after the Melbourne Cup urinating in the street. Fair enough, maybe we have people like this and it's a fair portrayal - but it's not the uplifting, feelgood celebration of Oz culture suggested by comparison to The Castle.

Overall, I couldn't say this is a movie you *have* to see, and I wouldn't turn you away from it either. I cringed throughout a lot of it, I chuckled a number of times and, despite seeing it coming from a mile, I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the finale. Never push too far a man in control of a sewerage tanker.

Kenny

[dvalley1 · 9/10 · 10 December 2008]

Kenny was a pleasant surprise at the video store. At first,I thought it was a real documentary. Later, a few scenes were a bit obvious, but the overall look and fell of it was real. The lead as Kenny, was so believable as this character. The Aussie sense of humor has always been hilarious. When you realize that what one person views as sick, another views as a profession, it tells you just about the limit of our own perspectives. The people who do this kind of work are the independent people who function beyond what we view as respectable. But it is these type of people, the ones who take care of all our basic animal functions, that allow us to operate at the next level. Just imagine what it would be like to have to dispose of all our waste. No thanks!! I actually know someone who does this for a living, although not at Kenny's level! Just like what Kenny says in the film, There will always be a need for this type of thing. What is also funny is just regular situations, like the fish-out-of-water in Nashville who has a child-like fascination for the cutting edge of his craft, not unlike the computer enthusiast at Comdex(this was kind of a Comdex for the crap industry!). Also, most Aussie would be welcome and fit in perfect in Tennessee, which is a state with a healthy respect for this type of man. Overall, I thought this was hilarious, just the way it was written and the natural flow of the events in the film. Average people who just show up for work and do their jobs are not represented nearly enough in film. All we usually get is Beauties and Freaks. The extremes which are not really representative of most. Kenny is everyman, really.

Funny line

[zw1965 · 7/10 · 7 October 2006]

This is an enjoyable movie. I expect many Australians will enjoy it even if they outwardly shun the crass basic humour. Kenny and his family can be found all over Australia. Hard working, happy with their lot but complicated because not everything has worked out as they had wanted. The fact the old man thinks 20 cents is still a valuable gift to a boy is hilarious. The first half of the movie is significantly funnier than the second half. The romantic bits and pieces with the flight attendant were necessary but too much of a fall in humour terms when compared to the introduction. There were some inaccuracies. I fly a lot and lately I've looked in all the toilets on every type of aircraft and cannot find any "clips" that Kenny alludes to. The best line for me was, "There is a smell in here that will outlast religion..."

Drags On

[buckythewonderhorse · 5/10 · 27 November 2006]

After reading so many positive reviews, I expected much more than this.

The toilet jokes were quite funny, but to be honest I expected more. Very few, if any, were side-splitting funny.

(By the way the toilet humour was not offensive. I think the "M" rating (in Australia) was more for the more-than-occasional use of the "F" word.)

But my main complaint is that the film drags on. For a mockumentary (or any other feature length film) to work, it needs to have a decent plot. Alas, this film just meandered through Kenny's life, with no real connection between the scenes. Some of the scenes were repetitive and they could have cut a few. The camping scene in particular I thought was pointless.

Also the climax of the film, while funny, was out of character for Kenny.

Pleasant, but don't go with your expectations too high.

Fanpoopytastic

[meatlover81 · 7/10 · 15 November 2009]

high five to the Jacobsen boys. They deserve it. this is the BEST Aussie comedy since the dish. It just makes you come out feeling like you're walking on sunshine for some reason. And smart film making, they knew their limitations and enhanced the movie by embracing them. Its a simple story but done well and what it does is show you a slice of Australia that you don't know you want to see but you really do. Film bodies listen here! get off the "hey i'm a sad story about a depressed druggie in the inner city battling to survive because life is so gritty and hard" band wagon. The world doesn't want to see that and you know what, its not Australia mate so get over it and stop trying to be arty fools. We are good at comedy and lets get more of it out there. And exploitation films, they need to come back too.