Clubland (2007)

Director:

Cherie Nowlan

Writers:

Brenda Blethyn (writer: additional stand-up comedy material)
Jo Brand (writer: additional stand-up comedy material)

Release Date:

3 August 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

The only remedy for love is to love more

Plot:

The shy son of an aging comedienne tries to find a balance between his demanding home life, his new girlfriend, and his mother's second chance at fame.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Female Nudity | Bare Breasts | Love | Masturbation

Awards:

2 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Brenda Blethyn	...	Jean
Rebecca Gibney	...	Lana
Khan Chittenden	...	Tim
Richard Wilson	...	Mark
Russell Dykstra	...	Shane
Emma Booth	...	Jill
Katie Wall	...	Kelly
Philip Quast	...	Ronnie Stubbs
Frankie J. Holden	...	John
Tracie Sammut	...	Tori
Justin Martin	...	Brett
David Webb	...	Colin
Susan Kennedy	...	Sharon
Paul Barry	...	The Nest Manager #1
Brendan Clearkin	...	The Nest Manager #2

Also Known As:

Club Land (Australia) (alternative spelling)
Introducing the Dwights (USA) (new title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Australia:MA | USA:R | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Finland:K-13 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Bankstown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Goalpost Pictures

Trivia:

Brenda Blethyn, along with Jo Brand, wrote much of the material for the stand up sets in the film.

Almost, but not quite

This is a very annoying film. It could have been excellent but instead it is just adequate. There's a lot to like about it, the major plus being Brenda Blethyn's performance. Always a joy to watch as the woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown, she steals the show once again with her quivering bottom lip and comic timing, but we have seen a very similar performance from her in Secrets & Lies, albeit with less variation. Be careful Brenda! You're at risk of getting typecast. The biggest problems with the film relate to the script (underdeveloped, meandering, loose ends) and the two young leads whose performances are uneven, and that's being especially kind to Khan Chittenden who is no leading man. The other problem is this is formulaic in the Sundance way - family drama, quirky characters, conflict, joy, sadness and humor - not traits that are in themselves bad at all, but in this cinematic combination they come together and make it seem contrived, overly constructed and quite predictable. Is it still a decent film? Yes, if you can get past the first half hour which is very unpromising, but it's a wasted opportunity too.