This could well be the feel good movie of the year.
And it's an Australian musical featuring a largely aboriginal cast!
The story centres on Willie (Rocky McKenzie), a teenage boy living in Broome and destined to become a priest thanks largely to the influence of his Catholic mother.
Then he meets Rosie (played by Australian Idol runner-up Jessica Mauboy) and everything changes. He's shipped back off to boarding school, run by the strict Father Benedictus (Geoffrey Rush), but runs afoul of the rules there and runs away.
This sets off a chain of events (and hilarious songs) which sees Willie fleeing from Perth to Broome (for those that don't know this is a very long distance) and running into a number of interesting characters played by very familiar faces to Aussies.
They include Ernie Dingo as Tadpole, a bum who joins Willie on his trek back to Broome, Missy Higgins as a 60s hippie, Deborah Mailman as an outback woman with one thing on her mind and Magda Szubanski as a roadhouse owner who comes on a bit strong with the customers.
McKenzie, an unknown actor, really steals the show from his more notable cast members. He has a presence that is magnetic when he is on screen.
Some of the songs border on ridiculous but I think that's the point. The film is done with a great spirit and pokes fun at anyone possible, which is a great tradition of the Australian comedy and something that has been lost in a string of far too serious local films.
I also think it is a great exhibition of some aspects of aboriginal culture (not that I am any kind of expert).
If you come out picking at the acting then you've missed the point. This is a musical with some feel good songs, hilarious moments and just good light hearted fun. You'll want to 'be an aboriginie' too after seeing this (if you see it you'll know what I mean!).
I thoroughly enjoyed it and it gets an 8 out of 10.
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