Kenny
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Movie Reviews of Kenny
Movie Review: Better than it looks!!
Summary: 5 Stars
A friend told me she saw this movie at a film festival and like it. I thought it would be really silly, but it's a heartfelt story of Kenny - one of those really good men who no one appreciates. I liked it much more than I expected and for a different reason.Movie Review: Excellent family movie
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie stands on its own as just entertaining . However, if you want a moral it would be that it is important to take pride in yourself and how well you do what you do and just what you do is secondary .Movie Review: Just saw Kenny at Traverse City Film Festival
Summary: 5 Stars
Just saw Kenny at the Traverse City Film Festival and Michael Moore was right! This movie had the audience in absolute stitches... very clever and well paced. Highly recommendedMovie Review: An Aussies Opinion On Kenny!
Summary: 4 Stars
I must admit, when I first heard of the popularity of this 'mockumentary' movie I was a bit skeptical about seeing it because of the humour it would employ. However, when I finally took the plunge to view it (on tv) I was more than pleasantly surprised. Australians, by and large, despite all the shallow nationalistic rhetoric at times, are devoid of self confidence. Hence, there is an unfortunate tendency towards what is termed here as a cultural cringe. In other words, Australians, rather shallowly, don't like their own stuff, because they think it will be dismissed (as it often is) by outsiders - particularly the British or Americans. I suspect, this movie for the same reason maybe treated likewise at home. It's a pity because, the movie, as many of the reviewers here have pointed out, isn't just about a 'plumber' doing his dirty work, it's about the dignity and good heartedness of a simple man, trying to cope with his life as best as he can in often trying circumstances. To the American reviewers and others, I suggest you don't have to come to Australia to see people like Kenny - and yes, the gems of people like Kenny you can still find from time to time - I'm sure they are right there amongst you in the U.S. or elsewhere.
The toilet jokes throughout the film are used in an understated way, not intended to offend. What comes out best in "Kenny" is the character himself, and the contrast of him with the often self centred, superficial people he unfortunately has to deal with. He is a single father, playing an important role in the much maligned business of 'porta loos' (portable toilets en masse for various functions). He has to deal with snobby racegoers, a difficult ex-wife, and fellow employees not always reliable. On top of this, he travels to the U.S. to attend a 'business' convention. There, his wonderment and natural charm with those attending and exhibiting, make him easily likeable. His concern for the safe return to his hotel room of an inebriated Japanese business friend, rather than pursuing a possible romantic interest with the Air Stewardess he met on the flight over, endears his personal qualities even more. The Air Stewardess (Jackie I think), is the only female role that equates with redeemable qualities. In then end, you know, or at least hope, that the Kennys of this world will somehow make the best of any situation they're in. That's why, the closing scene of his reuniting with Jackie(?) suggest there is hope for the decent.
If you want to see a movie that reinvigorates your faith in the better qualities of people then have a look at "Kenny".
Movie Review: Mockumentary That's Funnier Than the Real Thing but No Less Genuine.
Summary: 4 Stars
"Kenny" was a big hit in Australia, where it was made by the Jacobson brothers: Clayton, who writes, directs, and produces, and Shane, who writes, produces, and stars as Kenny Smyth, port-a-potty man. This s a mockumentary deliberately made to look amateurish, so it doesn't' suffer for its low budget and handheld camera. The brothers' father Ronald Jacobson and Clayton's wife and son are in the film as well, so it seems like a family project. Kenny is an unassuming, easy-going employee of Splashdown, a company that furnishes "corporate bathroom rentals". He speaks frankly about the life and work of a man who plumbs poo for a living to a documentary film crew that follows him to all kinds of events that need potties and, finally, to a big Pumper and Cleaner Expo in the USA.
I don't think I've ever seen a greater burden put on one actor to carry a movie. Kenny is at the center of every scene. His blunt talk and surprisingly good nature combine to make him a lovable working class hero. Director Clayton Jacobson has found a way to get good dialogue in a loosely scripted film, and that is to tell the actors what the character says in general terms and let them put it in their own words. Shane Jacobson is a veteran of the stage and conveys an almost hyper-genuineness in his manner and speech. Many of the other actors are non-professionals. And Splashdown is a real company. Its owner really is Glenn Preusker, and we see real employees in the film. Kenny's not real, but his friendliness and gift for understatement are enormously appealing.
The DVD (Xenon 2008): There are 16 deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer, 4 featurettes, and an audio commentary. "The Making of Kenny" (44 min) is a full-featured documentary that interviews the Jacobsons, their family, cast, and others about the film and its appeal, from the project's conception to its warm reception in Australia. "Post Production" (5 min) is about editing and recording the sound. "Directing in Nashville" (9 min) joins the cast and crew filming in the US. The director talks about working with non-actors and filming on locations. "Shootin the Sh*% with the Cast and Crew" (6 min) are outtakes. The audio commentary is with Clayton Jacobson and Shane Jacobson in the character of Kenny, so it is a sort of continuation of the film. The film is optionally subtitled in English to help with the accents and the fact that Kenny slurs a bit.