Mental: Movie Review

Mental: Movie Review

Cast: Toni Collette, Rebecca Gibney, Anthony LaPaglia, Liev Schreiber, Kerry Fox, Deborah Mailman
Director: PJ Hogan

The latest Aussie outing sees Packed to the Rafters star Rebecca Gibney looking almost unrecognisable as a matriarch of a family falling apart.

Gibney plays Shirley Moochmore, who dreams of a life as the head of the Von Trapp family and who we first see singing the Sound of Music much to the horror of her five daughters. Shirley's hubbie Barry, the wannabe re-elected mayor, is a bit of a rascal, cheating on her, never home for family meals and forgetting all of the kids' names.

So it's no wonder that our Shirl has a breakdown and is carted off to the local looney bin - or "on holiday in Woollongong" to avoid embarrassment.

However, Barry's forced home when he realises how troubled his daughters are; one's already tried to commit suicide, the others are unpopular and one's borderline schizophrenic...things don't look good for the Moochmores. In fact, Coral, who tried to kill herself, is the main reason Barry stays away, unable to face what they call "The Disgrace."

That's when a hard smoking, straight talking Shaz (Toni Collette) shows up in their lives (well, after Barry picks her up from the side of the road) - and turns them all upside down, making them believe in themselves and that being different is nothing to be frightened or ashamed of.

But Shaz isn't exactly being completely honest with the Moochmores - in fact, she's got as much baggage as the rest of them....

Mental is an intriguing film - and certainly one which is aiming to upend the usual attitudes to mental health.

Crazy opening scenes set the tone - the mum's in the yard, singing that The Hills are Alive with the Sound of music, while the daughters are inside, cringing at her embarrassing behaviour. However, when Shirley's carted off to a mental institution for a breakdown, it's down to a bit more of a drama as drifter Shaz shows up.

Which is a real shame - because while it cocks a snook at suburban uptight attitudes and opinions, it's that spark of total bizarreness which is much needed throughout. After all, any film which ends with someone lighting a fart and setting fire to a room full of dolls is clearly hoping to achieve some kind of randomness.

Throw in a good cast of calibre - LaPaglia as a cheating husband, Schreiber as a croc hunter with a grizzly edge, and the Sapphires Deborah Mailman as a lusty lesbian and you've got quite the ensemble.

In amongst all that, while Collette is all energy and kook with heart as the nanny who shows up, the story is determined to give her a tragic past, which torpedoes any of the levity that Hogan's brought to the screen.

Mental isn't a bad film - it's just one that's a mismatch of various tones and ideas and consequently doesn't really achieve any overall final feeling. If you're after another Muriel's Wedding, you'll be highly disappointed.

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