Charlie & Boots (2009) Reviews

• Funny & Touching

  StrayButlerReturns2010-01-08

  The concept of an Australian comedy featuring the once-in-a-lifetime pair-up of Paul Crocodile Dundee Hogan and Shane Kenny Jacobson would appear foolproof. And while this movie doesn't live up to all of its potential, Charlie & Boots (the sophomore effort of director Dean Murphy, who previously teamed up with Paul Hogan for 2004's Strange Bedfellows) is an endearing, poignant and sweet comedy-drama. This is a film infused with so much heart that even the feel-good clichés it occasionally employs seem charming. It's simply an ideal vehicle for its two primary stars. The plot line is reasonably straightforward. After the tragic death of his beloved wife Grace (Thompson), Charlie (Hogan) - a hardworking farmer - is left devastated and withdrawn. On a whim, his older son Boots (Jacobson) decides to take an impromptu fishing trip with Charlie, as it could shake his old man out of the doldrums and perhaps repair the rift between them. Once Boots gets Charlie in the car, he informs him they'll be travelling from their Victorian hometown to Cape York (thousands of kilometres away) for a spot of fishing off the country's northernmost tip (a trip long promised but never accomplished). Charlie is at first none too co-operative, but Boots does his best to be upbeat. Along the way they pick up an attractive young female hitchhiker with boyfriend trouble (Griffin), and they fend off a succession of older women who are interested in Charlie. This is a superbly relaxed, warm and good-natured movie that celebrates the relationship between father and son. Gradually, as the trip unfolds, an uneasy companionship emerges as the two begin to learn more about each other and the dramas that ruptured their lives. The movie exposes family conflicts, and watches the protagonists as both of them divulge emotional revelations while their relationship is slowly put back on track. Charlie & Boots can also be perceived as a picturesque tourist guide of rural Australia. During their travels the characters encounter the Grampians, Tamworth, Forbes, Tenterfield and even the spectacular Great Barrier Reed. A lot of these locations are low-key (Baz Luhrman wouldn't have used them), and the radiant cinematography courtesy of Roger Lawson does justice to them. Dean Murphy's direction is frequently competent, keeping things wonderfully minimalist and naturalistic (an efficient set-up that poignantly observes Charlie's grief is a particular highlight). Dale Cornelius' delightful score adds yet another layer of enchanting flavour. The movie may be little more than a string of vignettes that all adhere to a similar formula, but everything fits together nicely. Just how well it'll play for an international audience is a mystery, though. Charlie & Boots is heavily laced with dry Aussie wit that's well suited to Australian audiences, who should also readily identify with the characters and be enthralled by their warmth. Most of the film's good-natured comedy is derived from witty lines and a number of hilarious comedic set-pieces (such as a sequence involving a not-too-bright police officer). Yet despite the film's strong points, there are problems with the screenplay (penned by director Murphy and Stewart Faichney). The main problem is that the whole thing is painfully by-the-numbers - it's your usual bonding road-trip movie which obeys the rules of the genre (we know Charlie and Boots will patch up their relationship, for instance). Here's another thing: laughs are a tad too limited considering the talent involved. It's never particularly dull per se, but it only rarely takes off in a way that's seriously exhilarating. Getting Paul Hogan and Shane Jacobson together in a movie was a terrific idea (however tenuous their physical resemblance). Hoges is his usual brilliant self as Charlie; delivering a trademark performance that has echoes of his glory days. The former Crocodile Dundee star is able to express an inner sadness that's deeply affecting, and the gradual breaking down of his character's bitterness and reserve is effectively conveyed. Meanwhile, Shane Jacobson is pitch-perfect - likable, sympathetic and above all relatable as Boots (whose real name is revealed in an amusing, nicely judged scene). He perfectly embodied the hard-working Aussie bloke in the 2006 hit Kenny, and in Charlie & Boots he brilliantly embodies your typical middle-aged man. In the supporting cast there's the young Morgan Griffin, who would've been 16 or 17 during production. Griffin brings a delightful warmth and buoyancy to the material, and an audience will miss her (as the boys do) when she abruptly leaves the story. Roy Billing, in a brief cameo, is another amusing highlight. The movie is in loving memory of Reg Evans who plays an amusing minor role in the movie, and who died in the 2009 Victorian bushfires. All things considered, Charlie & Boots is a pleasant, enjoyable little Aussie film of male bonding which is both funny and touching. Its charm is very pervasive, and it's difficult not to yield to it. Any Australian who has ever taken a multiple-day road-trip will easily relate to the situations the protagonists encounter (car trouble, snoring relos, etc). Charlie & Boots may be a highly clichéd affair, but it'll surely plant a smile on your face - and who can complain about that? Be sure to watch until after the end credits for a bonus laugh.

• Enjoyable ride

  burties52012-06-23

  If you are wanting an easy, enjoyable, Aussie road trip movie, spend 2 hours with Charlie & Boots. The movie moves along at a nice pace, has tender moments and plenty of laugh out loud moments. It also has some beautiful scenery and cinematography. Don't go into it expecting any kind of Hollywood movie, it is a true Australian movie, understated, funny and overall very entertaining. Most Australians will be able to relate to something throughout this movie.. We were very pleasantly surprised and glad we watched it. Keep watching until the credits end.

• Aussie Father and Son road trip is OK

  bassrourke2009-09-02

  The iconic (in Australia) Paul Hogan, Crocodile Dundee himself, returns to the big screen in a fairly good comedy/drama which is essentially a road trip that tourism Australia would relish. Charlie is grieving the loss of his wife and is taken by his estranged son Boots, on a trip up to north Queensland. Their ambition is to go fishing at the most northern tip of the country in Cape York. Along the way through Victoria, into New South Wales and up in Queensland they visit many famous locales. The banter between the two is great, they have good chemistry. Shane Jacobson as Boots is best known as Toilet cleaner Kenny, a popular Aussie comedy of the same name There is some amusing, but obviously set up comical moments, especially involving one very butch female truck driver and her attention towards Charlie. Over all, seeing this with a big crowd as I did will help the ambiance of the laid back jokes. There are some serious moments, but not many beyond sentimental family issues. The young hitchhiker is the best inclusion of the story. A travelogue of sorts disguised as a movie, but stay on during the credits for a sly remark from Hoges when crossing the Sydney harbor Bridge, a place where he once worked as a painter.

• yes!

  meatlover812009-11-15

  This movie made me smile. I like smiling. It made me smile for a lot of reasons. 1. because its a good heartfelt comedy that we seem to have forgotten how to make over in Oz. We used to be so good at it too. damn you government film bodies! 2. its great to see Paul hogan back, he's a likable guy. this is his best film since croc dundee(which isn't hard). Kenny the portaloo guy makes me smile too. I'd love to get a hug from a big lovable bear it would make you smile. Everyone in this is doing a great job, in front and behind the camera. we are soooooo good at comedy, and internationally people love our comedy. Why the hell aren't we making more comedy? buy it!

• A good movie about middle Australia

  tvdodds2010-01-11

  I enjoyed the movie. I don't see anything wrong with showing the countryside of Australia and I thought it did a better job of that than the film 'Australia' which had CGI images involved, showing landscapes that didn't even exist. This movie was full of old jokes that we've heard before but put into virtually small skits, the towing scene (We've heard that joke before) and the aviation scenes. Roy Billing was rolling them out one after another. I've heard them all before and even Shane Jacobsen gets in on it after Billing delivers another. We see Shane in the back seat start to smile. He gets it. The Australian movie scene desperately needs people who can tell a good story (or any story)and use the genuine Australian country side and its characters as a back drop. Enough of the boyfriend girlfriend relationship studies that we get plied with year after year slowly numbing us to death. Thanks Shane and Paul and Co. OK, its not a film masterpiece, but you're starting to head the right way. Middle Australia is starving for stories set in their own country that will entertain. And we can relate to these events. I found it it to be a reasonable study of the relationship between a father and son traveling across the Australian countryside. Recommended.