Josh Jarman (2004)

Director:

Pip Mushin

Writer:

Pip Mushin (written by)

Release Date:

10 November 2005 (Australia)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Marcus Graham plays Josh Jarman, a struggling playwright who has written a long, serious play about doomed love...

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

Marcus Graham	...	Josh Jarman
Daniella Farinacci	...	Maxine (as Daniela Farinacci)
Damien Richardson	...	Russ
Kestie Morassi	...	Sasha
Kim Gyngell	...	Stan Billows
Suzy Cato	...	Edwina Billows
Alex Menglet	...	Sebastian
Wayne Hope	...	Service Station Attendant
Roz Hammond	...	Burgerland Girl
Marcella Russo	...	Service Station Attendant
Louise Siversen	...	Therapist
Ross Williams	...	Bob the Cockney Man
Danny Gesundheit	...	Courier
John Cousins	...	Harold Stalinger
Chelsea Gibb	...	Vicki Tramelli

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Josh Jarman Productions Ltd.

Appalling

This film is cinematic roadkill. It's definitely the worst Australian film of the year, if not of all time. Unless you're really into seeing clumsily directed, completely unfunny comedies - steer well clear of this stinker.

Pip Mushin is a good actor. I've enjoyed his performances in Strictly Ballroom and Frontline and was interested in seeing what he would come up with for his directorial debut. Who could have guessed that he would dish up a "comedy" which is about as much fun as passing a gall stone. Much of the blame for the absence of anything even remotely resembling amusement lies with the horrendous script. I have never seen so many clichés in the one film: the stupid thief, the girlfriend's horny mother, the struggling playwright and so on and so forth. I almost got up and left during the scene where Josh dances around the lounge room like an idiot. It's almost as if Pip Mushin got bored with ripping off bad sitcoms and just told Marcus Graham to act like an utter fool in the off chance that someone might find it vaguely amusing.

Speaking of Marcus Graham, the mind boggles as to why he agreed to act in this turkey. Marcus Graham is a talented actor, not that you'd know it from watching this. It doesn't help that he's completely miscast - at least 15 years too old for the character and way too good looking to play an unlucky in love super-nerd. The fact that they've tried to geek him up with glasses and bad hair just makes the character even less believable. You really know it's a bad movie when you feel embarrassed for the actors involved.

For the sake of all the participants and unsuspecting film goers, I really hope that Josh Jarman disappears to the darkest corner of the video shop in the very near future.