The Australian Film Industry has had a rough time recently, particularly when it comes to comedies. In an attempt to get Australian audiences into the cinema to see local product, Mick Molloy brings us his latest celluloid creation. Boytown tells the tale of the rise, fall, attempted comeback and eventual success of a boy band.
The early parts of the film were primarily used for providing background to the characters. The actual funny lines were a bit thin on the ground during these scenes, but patches of laughter could be heard from members of the audience who had survived the early Boy Band era and recognised the ridiculousness of it all. The main source of humour in the early stages of the film was a gentle parody of the music and dress of the late 80s and early 90s. I managed to successfully ignore most of the boy bands over the years, so more informed viewers may have gotten more out of the featured songs which seemed very generic to me.
Things improved slightly when the boys attempted their comeback. The songs were equally bland but were saved by riotous video clips that were suitably cheesy. Five middle aged men trying to be alluring while dressed in “Young Beefcake” costumes was a sight to behold.
When the film took its major plot twist, a change in the band’s demographic, was the point that it really hit its stride. The music departed from the generic cheesiness and turned into hilariously condescending tunes that had everyone laughing, but they were essentially one joke songs. The use of them was such that they presented the main joke and ended before overstaying their welcome. It would be interesting to see how tolerable these songs are on the soundtrack album, where I assume they are full length versions.
With such a great cast of comedic talent in the title roles it was a little disappointing that it wasn’t much of an ensemble piece, rather a vehicle for only Glenn Robbins. His character, Benny G, was the main focus of the film with the others in mere supporting roles. Mick Molloy’s Tommy Boy was next in the hierarchy with a sub-plot about unresolved tension in the band, but Bob Franklin as Bobby Mac wasn’t given very much to do at all. It was worse for the two remaining band members, Corey (Garry Eck) and Carl (Wayne Hope), who were only there to take part in a couple of running jokes.
Minimal development aside, the film did manage to allow the audience to relate to and sympathise with the characters, providing some laughs along the way. The number of memorable funny lines was rather low, instead relying on ridiculous situations and numerous song snippets to provide the humour. The more cynical viewer may suggest that the inclusion of so many songs was camouflage for a lacking script, but I found that the balance was adequate. It was a film about the music industry after all! There were also some clever parodies of film and theatre such as the “Apocalypse Now” hotel scene and the “Henry V” incognito reconnaissance.
The ending to the film was a disappointment to all my colleagues. The way it was set up suggested that a couple of possible scenarios could have been used, but they chose a very soppy and lachrymose ending that may have worked better if the characters had been given more depth.
Boytown was filmed in Melbourne so there plenty of opportunities to try spotting recognisable landmarks. It was also good to see a number of comedians given brief cameos; most notable was Tony Martin as a documentary film-maker. Many locals were used as extras in the concert scenes so they could try to spot themselves in the very brief crowd shots. A fellow squirrel thinks she may have spotted the back of her head! The extras were assured by Tony Martin that more of the concert footage is likely to end up in the DVD release.
Although it’s unlikely to become a classic of Australian cinema, it is a fun movie that provides a solid 88 minutes of entertainment.
Boytown is currently screening in cinemas nationwide. Point your browser at Boytown for some boy band fun.