Kenny

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Kenny

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Kenny

Alf Scerri, Chris Davis, Glenn Preusker, Hayley Preusker, Kevin Roy

From the biggest festival to the smallest church social, Kenny Smyth delivers porta-loos to them all. Ignored and unappreciated, he is one of the cogs in society's machinery; a knight in shining overa...( read more  read more... )lls taking care of business with his faithful 'Splashdown' crew. Follow Kenny as he tackles every septic challenge that comes his way, culminating in a pilgrimage to that Mecca of waste management, the International Pumper and Cleaner Expo in Nashville, Tennessee--or as Kenny affectionately calls it, "Poo HQ".

Id: 7601250

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Kenny Recent Reviews
  • SirPant
    October 1, 2009
    SirPant
    I was expecting a laugh out loud comedy and I have to admit during the first half of this film I was preparing myself for massive disappointment. Thankfully, the film turned into a really sweet character study of a really nice guy who never lets life's shit (or actual shit for th...( read more)at matter) get him down. A light comedy with a big heart, well worth a watch!
  • PvtCaboose91
    October 28, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    "It takes a certain kind of person to do what I do. No-one's ever impressed; no-one's ever fascinated. If you're a fireman, all the kids will want to jump on the back of the truck and follow you to a fire. There's going to be no kids willing to do that with me. So, I don't do ...( read more)it to impress people - it's a job, it's my trade, and I actually think I'm pretty good at it."


    There is one undeniable, inescapable bona fide fact regarding humans that we rarely like to discuss or even mention: everybody poos. Generally speaking, mainstream movies exercise this fact for brainless comedy. Modern comedies usually toss in a fart gag or a diarrhoeic outburst in a desperate attempt for a laugh. From such scenes in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle or Dumb and Dumber, to dramatic shit smearing in North Country...even to German hack director Uwe Boll whose films are pure cinematic semi-liquid nuggets of week-old vindaloo proportions.

    Kenny serves a potent yet valuable reminder regarding everybody's need to poo. At first it most likely seems like a daft single-joke comedy overflowing with scatological humour. During its marketing campaign and preliminary hype, there wasn't much to convince anyone otherwise. But Kenny is something radically different. This is a hysterical, enormously entertaining mockumentary featuring an impeccable blend of humour, pathos and heart-warming moments. It delivers a poignant and effective snapshot of a forgotten cog in society who's frowned upon due to the nature of his trade. The character of Kenny (played by little-known actor Shane Jacobson, who won an AFI award for his performance) is commonly alienated from family and friends due to his job. But with this mockumentary we're reminded that he performs an essential public service: if the "Kennys" of the world didn't exist, where would we take a dump at a big festival? It's a trade no-one wants to think about, yet someone needs to do it.

    The Jacobson brothers themselves were sceptical as to whether this concept would actually work as a film. Kenny was originally a short that debuted at a major Aussie film festival. Astonishingly, the audience reaction was enormously positive. Due to massive demand, Splashdown (the toilet company which the character of Kenny works for) persuaded the Jacobson brothers to develop the concept into a feature-length movie...and Kenny was eventually born.

    Kenny Smyth is a typical Everyman trying to make a living. He works at a Corporate Bathroom Rental company known as Splashdown. Kenny is a knight in shining overalls, taking care of business with his faithful Splashdown crew by his side. The film follows Kenny as he tackles all troubles great and small...from the biggest festival to smallest social gatherings; Kenny confronts every septic challenge that comes his way. He also battles his way through personal problems, dealing with his bitter divorce during which he lost custody of son Jesse (played by Shane Jacobson's real-life son), and he also must tend to the blossoming romance between himself and an airline hostess (Bibra). Every challenge in Kenny's life he faces with charm, humour and unflinching dignity.

    "I'd love to be able to say "I plumb toilets" and have someone say "Now that is something I've always wanted to do"."



    Kenny lifts the lid on the very real issues in contemporary society. No-one is ever impressed or fascinated with what Kenny does. Kenny even expounds on the glories of his craft. It isn't as glamorous as being a fireman but it's also more secure than a desk job. ("It's not like my business is ever going to dry up overnight!") In addition, he's treated badly by the members of the general public he's forced to interact with. Barely anyone will shake his hand, his own father (played by Shane and director Clayton Jacobson's actual father) orders him to remove his work overalls before sitting down, and people shun him at social gatherings. When Kenny's son assists in cleaning the port-a-loos, members of the public complain indignantly and inquire "What kind of diseases could he get?". This film presents us with disillusionments and misunderstandings in relation to Kenny's trade. For its brutal honesty and realism, the filmmakers deserve to be lauded.

    Director Clayton Jacobson (who gets a very small role as well) lensed the movie using suitable digital photography. It feels like a home movie at times, which is the desired effect. Lots of people (myself included) were under the false impression that Kenny was a real person, and that the events were real. Make no mistake: 95% of the film is staged and rehearsed, with the fantastic naturalistic acting generating the ingenious illusion that we're watching genuine documentary footage. The cinematography is extremely accomplished with its fly-on-the-wall style.

    "There's another classic example of someone having a two inch arsehole and us having installed only one inch piping."



    Shane Jacobson earned an AFI award for Best Actor. His acting can only be described as faultless. In real life, Shane doesn't have a lisp. I, like many others, was under the impression that the lisp was genuine. This is a testament to the masterclass of acting offered by Jacobson. Kenny Smyth is the best Aussie character to hit screens since Michael Caton's Darryl Kerrigan in The Castle and Paul Hogan's Mick Dundee in Crocodile Dundee. He presents the essential Australian: simple, hard-working and looking forward to having a beer at the end of the day. Kenny's naivety is emphasised by his family's simplicity. He's the first person in his family to fly out of Australia, and he's utterly curious about the workings of an aeroplane. When he arrives at Nashville, Tennessee in America for the International Plumper and Cleaner Expo - i.e. "Poo HQ" as Kenny affectionately calls it - he's bewildered by the size of the expo. Kenny is also your typical Aussie using ockerisms and slang that may appear pretty peculiar to an international audience. His similes are particularly amusing. "Sillier than a bum full of smarties", "Mad as a clown's cock", and so on. Kenny is irresistible and charming, humorous and kind-natured. He's part philosopher, part comedian and all heart. Shane Jacobson gives the film the gusto and momentum it needs.
    The other actors deserve a brief mention. It was a family and friend affair, with Shane Jacobson's real father playing Kenny Smyth's father, and Shane's real son played Kenny's son. Ronald Jacobson was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the AFI awards. He's brilliant, witty and quotable.

    The Jacobson brothers may have built the film's premise around toilets and poo, yet a brown log is never actually shown at all throughout the entire film. They never cross the line...the "mud biscuits and apple juice" are merely referenced instead of being shown. The humour of the film is in Kenny's delightful matter-of-factness in his observations. He cleverly describes his trade and things going on around him...and it's hilarious. Better yet, it's all done with a straight face. At the beginning of the film Kenny is interviewing a potential client via phone. As he asks whether this client will be serving food or drink at the event, the implications of his questions are hilarious. "Are there any Indonesian foods or curries?" The opening 30 minutes are probably the strongest part of the movie. We are offered a very intimate insight into the life of Kenny Smyth. Kenny is developed as a three-dimensional human, and in his personality fragments we see ourselves. From start to finish, it's a mosaic of hilarious and quotable lines with an adequate dosage of pathos and heart. The concoction works incredibly effectively!

    "There's a smell in here that is gonna outlast religion."



    When all's said and done, Kenny simply reminds everyone that in the age of big-budget adventures and CGI spectacles, engaging characters and a good story are all that matter. Kenny has both. This is a little-known film that scored big at the box office. It remained in cinemas for roughly a year. Even after the DVD was released, selected Australian cinemas were still showing it. As a character study so singularly focused on its central character, a film like this relies on its central character for its success. Shane Jacobson delivers a delightful performance. Kenny is a man with good intentions, and this comes across very powerfully. Shane has impeccable comedic timing as he deadpans a series of hilarious lines in expert fashion. Aside from being consistently laugh-out-loud funny, the terrific script generates real affection for Kenny in order that we desperately root for him to succeed. The character makes several valid observations about family, work and the value of human dignity.

    Kenny is a masterpiece for its expert amalgamation of great comedy, pathos and terrific touching moments. This is a hysterical movie that holds up admirably no matter how many times you watch it. I still laugh at every joke after 50 viewings. It's a very entertaining movie, and I absolutely love it. At first I had no interest in seeing this picture. But on a firm recommendation I attended a screening (which required a lot of searching to determine which local cinemas were showing it), and it was the best cinematic experience in my entire life. It was a full house, and every single person in the cinema was crying with laughter. It was the most entertaining two hours of my entire life, and now I constantly revisit the movie. This is the greatest mockumentary in history! Yes, it's better than This is Spinal Tap!!

    Followed by a spin-off TV series entitled Kenny's World.
  • MidnightMadwoman
    June 18, 2008
    MidnightMadwoman
    This is another movie that manages to be sweet despite its subject matter. I think it's all about tone. This is about a loo plumber and how he's treated by the world. It's strange to see how the guy's job colours (and doesn't) the rest of his personality. I guess the moral of thi...( read more)s story is that every job that exists needs to be done, and no one is defined by what they do for a living.
  • gor41
    February 2, 2008
    gor41
    The Australian's capture the spirit of 'The Office' in the unlikely guise of a loo attendant/plumber mockumentary with real heart. Kenny is disarming and full of wonderful aphorisms on life but it is his faltering relationship with his father and potential partner which had me ro...( read more)oting for him.
  • garystev
    June 10, 2007
    garystev
    Great idea for a mockumentary. Follow a guy who delivers and services portaloos. Honest, funny and interesting. Maybe even a portrayal of a true working class hero. All that and an abundance of poo jokes make this one to watch.
  • leestro
    November 28, 2009
    leestro
    Bravo - once again australian product dazlles with its subtle yet poignant REAL stories. with memorable lines 'there's a smell in this dunny that will outlast religion!'. Brilliantly observed travails of a dad and with his family, Sad, funny and quintessentailly aussie. great fli...( read more)ck. Thanks for sending it Nick!
  • dukeakasmudge
    November 11, 2009
    dukeakasmudge
    GREAT mockumentary! I didnt know it wasnt real until the credits came up
  • CHILIcheeseDONUTSwithTUNAonTOP
    September 5, 2009
    CHILIcheeseDONUTSwithTUNAonTOP
    A absolutely hilarious mockumentary that may be described as one 90 minute poop-joke, but its really much more than that. A filmographer follows "Kenny" around in his job as a "Johnny-on-the-spot" operator. As a crew leader he has all the regular tasks that anyone who supervises ...( read more)people can identify with along with the fun of getting poop on your hands. The majority of the people in this movie were non-actors - just friends of the people who wrote/directed/starred in this. It seems like this may have been much more popular in Australia (where its from), but the humor would not be lost on the rest of the world. Seriously on of the best non-Christoper Guest mockumentaries (others being Never Been Thawed, LolliLove, Blackballed, The Grand, and Calcium Kid - but the vast majority of mockmumentaries seriously fall short).
  • Lemure
    June 8, 2009
    Lemure
    I liked this film. Kenny was a great character with some analogies to die for. But I didn't know it was a mockumentary until the credits told me that the events and characters are entirely ficticious. Yet it wasn't obvious, there weren't a lot of laughs, I did find it suspect tha...( read more)t he happened to lead such an eventful life while the cameras were there, and he was just too likeable and decent to be amusing. Plus most of the film is peoples attitudes towards him and his work and how they look down on him. It's not till the very end that he gets his own back on someone (in style) but by then it's so out of character that it just left me confused. It would have been a much better documentary.
  • kursed13
    April 17, 2009
    kursed13
    for a movie about porta loos it wasnt bad
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