Based on the experiences of FBI agent Michael German, Imperium stars Daniel Radcliffe in another of his I-must-get-away-from-this-fucking-boy-wizard-tag roles. This time, he's Nate Foster, an intelligent and empathetic Ivy League FBI agent whose knack for interpersonal skills places him on the radar of the experienced and perpetually gum-chewing undercover handler Angela Zamparo, played by Toni Collette. Recruiting him to infiltrate white supremacists who are likely to mastermind Timothy McVeigh-style, dirty bomb planting terrorist acts, Nate is soon shaven-headed and bomber-jacketed, mingling with the local Neo-Nazis who have caught her eye.
On the whole, Imperium does well to avoid the usual identity-crisis plot development that so often prefigures the undercover cop drama, but it does have Nate forging some kind of kinship (predictably) with one of the more intelligent and sophisticated targets he is set to take down, which puts the film on the usual path to cliche. This familiarity would be less of a problem where Imperium's overall style and elan in terms of production and storytelling better than it actually is, but there's an air of cheapness that is all too pervasive here that ultimately sinks this well-intentioned effort and leads me to consider that as several TV productions have explored this kind of narrative more successfully, TV might have been this production's more natural home. Where Imperium excels is in its frank depiction of what may be called the accessible face of fascism; polite, family friendly BBQ's serving as an uncomfortably domesticated and recognisable alternative to the usual KKK gatherings - though the film will resort to speeded up archive footage of Nazis and white supremacist groups to signpost in the most laboured fashion that, y'know, racism is bad.
It's worth pointing out that Radcliffe does rather well in his central role. Arguably, his keen and somewhat greenhorn FBI agent is more convincing than his alter-ego of the committed fascist, but I think that's deliberate as the film is keen to tip the wink that this is a committed FBI agent who is somewhat out of his depth on occasion. It would be easy to place the blame for Imperium's disappointment at Radcliffe's door, but it would - to my mind at least - be unfair, and I speak as someone who has never seen a Harry Potter film and considers the viewing of them as a personal kind of hell. However the film has no defence whatsover for wasting the talents of the charismatic and talented Toni Collette, and it is too her credit that some of that natural charisma shines through even though little more than looking sassy in an FBI baseball cap, chewing gum and tossing How To Win Friends and Influence People at Radcliffe is all that is required of her.
Vibrantly shot and shot through with vulgarity, Mental reunites PJ Hogan with his Muriel's Wedding leading lady, Toni Collette for a subversive and downright hilarious look at mental health, suburban conformity and what lies beneath the supposed norms. Surprisingly, the film is based on Hogan's own childhood - in that when he was 12 his mother had a breakdown which is politician father kept secret so as not to ruin his chances at the local election. His father picked up a hitcher and subsequently placed this ballsy unconventional woman in charge of looking after his children, one of whom - Hogan's sister - had schizophrenia.
At the film's heart is a fabulously fierce and uncompromising character performance from Collette that veers from laugh out loud funny to deeply emotionally affecting. She's ably assisted by some superb performances from the child actresses who make the coming of age strands of the story a believable delight, whilst there's essentially cameos from the likes of Liev Schreiber, Anthony LaPaglia, Kerry Fox and Rebecca Gibney.
I've read some pretty poor reviews of this and frankly I just don't see it. I don't find it offensive towards mental illness as some have suggested; being a sufferer myself and someone who has worked in the counselling profession I found its look on the issue wonderfully refreshing. Yes it's blackly comic, but maybe that's why I like it - after all, anyone who has worked in mental health has a sense of humour that's blacker than Newgate's knocker - but it's also a feelgood movie. I also appreciate Hogan raising some important and often ignored issues (not just mental health but also Australia's race relations) and his encouraging discussion, without feeling like a sermon, as a result.
If there's any fault it's perhaps the fact that the film seems to uncomfortably straddle quirky indie feature and multiplex offering. It firmly belongs in the former rather than the latter camp and Hogan could have firmly entrenched it in that field more, as witnessed by its wry, irreverent take on the tropes featured in The Sound of Music.
Overall, Mental is a great watch but maybe not for everyone. It has at its core the same sentiment I have towards mental illness; as I have always said 'one man's normal, is another man's insane'
"You're terrible Muriel"
A film that actually improves on rewatches, not that there was anything wrong with it on a first watch, Muriel's Wedding was that other wedding based hit movie of 1994 (Four Weddings and a Funeral being the other of course) all the way from Australia, which was then enjoying a new phase in film making; known as Glitter Film or post Australian New Wave.
Toni Collette owns this movie. A wonderfully talented actress with a flair for both comedy and drama which comes in handy as this is a film that can take you from one extreme to another. That she was just 22 at the time shows what a star she is. A naturally attractive girl, Collette had to put on 42 pounds in just 7 weeks to play the dowdy gawky Muriel; it takes a real talent to play what is generally perceived as unattractive here and she does so perfectly, utterly inhabiting the role and challenging perceptions to make it far more than just a stereotype. She's ably supported by a great Australian cast including the excellent Rachel Griffiths as Rhonda whose career had a similar Hollywood bound trajectory as Collette's after this, and the veteran actor Bill Hunter as Muriel's dad.
Muriel's Wedding is perhaps unflatteringly referred to as a chick flick, I can't think why and I can't agree with the statement. Just because a film focuses on a female central character doesn't mean it can only be enjoyed by, or say anything to, that specific gender. Muriel's Wedding is a film about life, and we can all enjoy and be spoken to about that little phenomenon.
If I had any criticisms about the film it is that occasionally writer/director PJ Hogan ensures it gallops along too quickly to reach its key plot points, leaving the viewer a little short changed for individual depth or experience. For instance it would have been nice for the film to have the chance to breathe and explore Muriel's friendship with Rhonda beyond the Abba performance when they leave their hometown of Porpoise Spit. But this is essentially a minor quibble in what is a very funny and touching movie with a corker of a soundtrack.
Oh and it also has one of the funniest (almost) sex scenes between Toni Collette and Matt Day, and a bean bag chair!
