Summary
While playing on more than a few stereotypes, this unabashedly goofy blue-collar comedy isn’t afraid of embracing the absurd.
If you believe the constant bombardment of advertising, meat is the founding cornerstone of Australian culture. Lamb brings people of all cultures together. Sam Neill tells us that as far as beef is concerned, “we’re meant to eat it.” Writer/director Stephen Amis’ THE BBQ plays on this stereotype while gently (wait for it) ribbing it as well.
Dazza Cook (Shane Jacobson) holds two sacred truths: he is the descendant of Captain Cook, and his barbequing skills are unparalleled. However, when he accidentally gives his neighbourhood food poisoning, he must rethink his lot in life. Despite the protestations of his wife Diane (Julia Zemiro), Dazza joins forces with fearsome Scottish meat merchant known only as The Butcher (Magda Szubanski). Together they enter a world BBQ contest to get a shot at redemption.
Like 2016’s Spin Out, or more recently Three Summers, the narrative structure of THE BBQ is built around a fictitious Australian event. Unlike either of those films, where the broad Australian comedy felt more like artifice than art, Amis’ film never feels anything less than genuine. Even the less than subtle product placement for Barbeques Galore and IGA are perfectly in keeping with the suburban, working class hero motif. Just as he did with Kenny, Jacobson’s Dazza earnestly tries his best, and it’s this ‘havin’ a go’ attitude that sits at the heart of film.
Nevertheless, THE BBQ has a healthy relationship with absurdity. As one would expect, Szubanski is a force of nature as the mad-as-hell Butcher. Her performance is about two shades away from sketch comedy, but the skilled comedian keeps her character on the right side of pathos. Some of the other characters lean more toward cariature, such as Dazza’s Indian neighbour who enjoys cosplaying as the speed-demon Captain Turmeric. Every country represented is a stereotype, from French rival Andre Mont Blanc (celebrity chef Manu Feildel) to the friendly Texas Jim (Jim Knobeloch).
Us vegetarians don’t do incredibly well either. Dazza’s daughter Montana (Upper Middle Bogan‘s Lara Robinson) is a vegan who only communicates through the use of miniature whiteboards. It’s hard not to roll one’s eyes at a ‘hippie’ gag that’s been running for the better part of the last three decades. On the other hand, it’s no more malicious than Lisa Simpson protesting Homer’s BBBQ (the extra ‘B’ is for BYOBB).
Despite these beefs, there is the rich stuffing of charm in the middle of a lot of ham-fisted puns. Arguably following the spirit of the (superior) classic The Castle, which gets a cheeky reference during an impassioned speech, this is Australia at its most self-deprecating. Jacobson even has his own ‘BBQ Song’ to fill out the soundtrack. Now can we get a side-salad with that, please?
2018 | Australia | DIRECTOR: Stephen Amis | WRITERS: Stephen Amis, Serge De Nardo, David Richardson, Angelo Salamanca | CAST: Shane Jacobson, Magda Szubanski, Manu Feildel, Lara Robinson | DISTRIBUTOR: Madman (AUS) | RUNNING TIME: 87 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 22 February 2018 (AUS)
