KATH AND KIMDERELLA

Having just directed the comedy MURDER MOST FUNNY (still playing till this Sunday at Tap Gallery, by the way) with a very Danny Kaye-ish turn by Seaton Kay-Smith, it was a Zeitgeist moment for me when Danny Kaye was channelled, purloined, pastiched, and humongously homaged in KATH & KIMDERELLA (M).

Suspicious of stretched out sit coms, I was cynical of this films ability to sustain feature length laughter, so I was pleasantly surprised that it succeeds in keeping its stamina for most of its 85 minutes.

Kath & Kim, cringe-dwellers of bas couture and culture, jet off to the Continent having won a pharmacy raffle. Their destination is a European kingdom run to ruin by a despotic monarch played by Rob Sitch.

Rob’s skunk stippled flowing maned Romeo seeks to seduce cashed up Kath and has Kim marry his illegitimate heir.

Chewing up the scenery and stealing the show is Richard E. Grant as the monarch’s aide de camp, Alain, a man of malevolent ambivalence, who tends to converse in verse, part court jester, part male Mrs. Danvers.

The regulars of the TV series abound- Magda Szubanski as Kim’s second best friend, Sharon, accompanies the mother and daughter on the trip and, in an art imitating life sequence, is cajoled out of the closet.

Glenn Robbins and Peter Rowsthorn reprise their roles as Kath and Kim’s respective spouses, Marg Downey is back as the marriage counsellor, Marion, and Dame Edna is along to pass the baton from Moonee Ponds to Fountain Lakes.

Shot and Co-produced by David Parker, creator of another Australian comedy classic, MALCOLM and filmed on location at Nerola Italy, Amalfi Coast Italy, Castello Orsini Italy, Monsalvat and the Regent Theatre Melbourne, the picture looks impressive, even the dodgy, cheesy, back projection which actually adds to the comedic flavour of the flick.

Jane Turner and Gina Riley have written a suitably silly big screen screamer for their indelible creations Kath and Kim, and also, Prue and Trude (love to see them get their own film).

Ted Emery, long time Kath & Kim collaborator, directs this committed crew of comics with a cosy competence. I’m sure it would get an OK from Danny Kaye.

© Richard Cotter

4th September, 2012

Tags: Sydney Cinema News- KATH AND KIMDERELLA, Jane Turner, Gina Riley, Ted Emery, David Parker, Glenn Robbins, Peter Rowsthorn, Marg Downey, Dame Edna, Magda Szubanski, Richard E Grant, Sydney Arts Guide, Richard Cotter