Down Under (2016)- BFI London Film Festival 2016

90min

Genre:       Comedy, Drama

Director:    Abe Forsythe

Cast:         Lincoln Younes, Rahel Romahn, Alexander England…more

Writer:      Abe Forsythe

-Synopsis-

In the aftermath of the 2005 race riots in the “Cronulla” suburb of Sydney; fuelled by fear and hatred, a misfit group of vengeful Lebanese-Australians are on a collision course with a motley crew of white working-class suburbanites, with darkly hilarious consequences in this irreverent comedy and absurdist satire from Aussie comedy actor/director Abe Forsythe.

Like many western nations, Australia has had its problems with racial tensions between communities as a result of immigration, look no further than 1992’s Neo-Nazi skinhead drama ‘Romper Stomper’ for a cinematic example, in the film which arguably made Russell Crowe a movie star in Australia. But with immigrant communities now boasting greater numbers and the will to fight back, the stage was set for the troubling events in “Cronulla” and Forsythe’s brazen comedic take on them.

As Chris Morris so boldly did in 2010 with ‘Four Lions’, using humour to poke at a recent wound in society, while exposing the idiocy of extremism through the “Four Jihadi Stooges”; Forsythe treads a similar path with ‘Down Under’, ripping apart the motivations for the “Cronulla” mob violence while exposing the depressingly farcical nature of ignorant neo-nationalism, as well as the violently foolish retaliations.

If you have delicate sensibilities or are easily offended, ‘Down Under’ might prove a bit of a shocker for you; this is an unabashedly crass and lewd comedy, featuring racist Aussie slang thrown about with reckless abandon and sexual references that wouldn’t be out of place in a Seth Rogen comedy, not to mention the odd bit of the ole “ultra-violence” and some good old-fashioned stereotyping.

But as a satire, the ridicule and inappropriate language is designed to make those who use it look foolish, and hold up a mirror to an embarrassing part of society, generating plenty of uncomfortable laughs and some innocent ones too. However without the talents of a master satirist like Chris Morris, ‘Down Under’ just doesn’t have the charm, wit or tact to adequately translate its convictions through comedy.

Ultimately it feels like the social unrest and division is just the backdrop for a loud unapologetic irreverent comedy, which isn’t helped by the changes in tone; moving from all-action outrage to moments of attempted poignancy and some reflective character drama within the factions. But these elements just aren’t convincing and just break up the film’s momentum without adding any real depth.

However much it trips over its own shoes, ‘Down Under’ still manages to get across its politically charged social message to counteract the rise in anti-immigrant sentiment, which seems to be rearing its ugly head across the Western world, but here in a country ironically founded and settled by relatively recent immigrants. It would do an ever better political service by addressing legitimate concerns on either side of the debate, as the media seem to be too frightened to do, regardless of how inappropriately they’re raised or used.

Even though it’s a fairly entertaining but flawed profane comedy, ‘Down Under’ no doubt still qualifies as social satire, and as good satire should do it will rile people from either side of the political spectrum, which ain’t exactly hard to do these days. But it’s an important service which art can provide; exposing the dangerously farcical implications of far-right ideology, while showing so-called modern liberals what real liberalism looks like.

The Bottom Line…

Although it’s more effective as modern irreverent black comedy than witty absurdist satire, ‘Down Under’ just about manages to put across its message and paint an uncomfortable picture of a divided society while entertaining an audience; not layered enough to be as memorable as the films which inspired it, but boasting enough uncomfortable laughs to provoke some thought and moral “outrage”.

‘Down Under’ is out in Australia, with no current UK release date.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Four Lions (2010)

A group of inept British Islamic extremists undergo a disastrous training campaign to commit a homegrown act of terrorism on the streets of London, but even a delusional and idiotic “Four Jihadi Stooges” can have a devastating effect, in this hilarious and bold satire on the current state of society from master satirist Christopher Morris.

Directed by  Christopher Morris and starring Riz Ahmed, Kayvan Novak and Nigel Lindsay among others.

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